my brother is legal guardian of his step-daughter's 2 kids. one is 21, so she's not really an issue, but the younger one is 13. his wife died last year, & the stepdaughter has substance abuse issues, as does the kids father.
should i mention to him that he really really needs to write a will not only specifying distribution of his estate, but who gets custody of the younger kid? (if he dies without a will, i get his money. i suspect the kids could use it).
Yes. Write. It. Down. Get legal advice and make sure that there are enough copies in secure locations and e-copies as well. Getting it taken care of ahead of time just in case (no one likes to think about it, but it will save so much heartache and time afterwards) for peace of mind. Absolutely, yes, mention it.
(Been through similar situations with family back in Kansas. Not fun.)
@WDEFAustenOnek my parents had everything, including funeral arrangements, done & paid in advance. it makes things SO much easier. i had to deal with my older brother's estate & ugh! that was such a PITA