estate Planning
Sadly, this is the subject that most of us put off as long as possible. However it is one of the most important things we will ever do in our lives. We try to take all the hard work out of it for you so your family does not have to at a time they least desire.
Estate Planning - Details
Wills
Preparing a Will can be one of the most daunting things an individual can ever try to accomplish but it does not have to be with the right help. We have helped many, many individuals and married couples complete the process in ways that seem easier than most thought it would be. Many people think, "oh, I'll just wait until I get old because I don't want to think about that now!" Well it is never too early to think about getting a will. If you have a spouse, you need a will. If you have a child or children, you need a will. If you have property, you need a will. If you do not have one, then the government can come in and decide for you what should happen to your children and property. No one wants to have that happen.
We can handle your property decisions in both a general and/or specific manner. If want to leave all your property to your spouse if they outlive you and then to your children if they do not, we can do that for you. If you want to leave a particular items or items to a particular person, we can include that for you.
If you have minor children and your spouse does not survive you, we can set up trusts and guardianships for you so you can pick who will raise your kids and how your children will be supported. We can set it up for you so that your life insurance or retirement will be property handled so that your children can be rightly taken care of.
We can help you choose who will be the executor of your estate and the trustee and guardian for your children. Make sure all your bills are paid. All of this can be done in a very easy manner. It is never too early to make plans!
Other Documents
There are other documents that we can prepare for you that are necessary and many find that when they are doing a will that this is a good time to do these as well. Specifically there are two types of powers of attorney that an individual need to handle their business and medical decisions and there is one other document that needs to be made regarding end of life decisions that I will discuss here.
Statutory Durable Powers of Attorney
The first type is what is called a Statutory Durable Power of Attorney. This is a type of power of attorney that you can designate another individual to take care of some or all your business decisions and then sign any paperwork necessary to effectuate those decisions. This power can be structured to start either when you become so disabled by some illness or injury that you can no longer make decisions for yourself or can start whenever you want. For example a person may have to be out of the country for a period such as on a military assignment or for other extended stay, we can set it up so someone else you choose can take care of your business or personal expenses for your. Maybe you need someone to take care of your children for a brief time, we can draw up the paperwork so that individual can take them to the doctor or make school decisions for you. There are a lot more things that a Power of Attorney can do for you.
Medical Power of Attorney
Medical Powers of Attorney allow you to appoint another individual to make medical decisions for you. I know when I have sought treatment from a doctor that required a hospital stay, this is one of the first questions that I am asked. We can do this so that you will not have to worry about it in the future because frankly some people wait too long then your family might have to go to court to get an order so you can be properly treated. We can help you avoid that problem. We can structure these to start when a doctor determines that you are no longer capable of making these decisions or at a time of your choosing. It is easy to do!
End of Life Decisions
There is no need to leave these type decisions to your family. We offer legal paperwork that instructs the medical personnel taking care of you in these situations directions on what to do when a you might face a serious medical problem.
There are two decisions that the paperwork sets out for you. The first is if you are diagnosed with some medical condition that may possibly end your life in as little as six months, you can instruct the doctors if you want to receive life saving treatment. The example I always give is if a person is diagnosed with cancer that may be fatal, does that person want the doctors to give you treatment that might save or extend your life?
The second question deals with a much more serious condition when a person is no longer able to live without life supporting equipment. You can tell the doctors what you want done. This certainly is a decision that no one should leave to their family.
We can help you with all these things and more.