For more information about the author, click to view their website: Lear & Lear
One of the most common questions we’re asked by our estate planning clients is, “Where do we start?” Our answer is, “With your biggest worry.”
Estate planning can be an overwhelming undertaking. But, we have come to know that finding the right jumping off point is half the battle. Calming your greatest fear, planning for your biggest worry is a great jumping off point.
Power to Make Medical Decisions
One common worry is that our clients’ wishes won’t be followed in a medical emergency. When we’re made aware of this, we suggest that they start with a Healthcare Directive. In a Healthcare Directive, you name a medical agent to make medical decisions for you when you are unable. You also memorialize what your wishes are so your medical agent knows what decisions to make. You can name what lifesaving measures you would like to be taken on your behalf. You can declare whether you’d like to be an organ donor or not. You can leave instructions for your funeral.
Knowing that there is a legal document that will become a gameplan in a medical emergency gives our clients a starting point and enables us to alleviate their worry.
Leaving Specific Gifts
Another concern is that our clients won’t be able to leave a specific item or gift to a specific person. Or, relatedly, some clients also that someone that they don’t want to inherit anything will be given some of their estate. When we know this, we recommend a Will or a Trust. In a Will, you can name who you want your beneficiaries to be, which also enables you to disinherit specific individuals. You can do the same in a Trust, and a Trust does not have to be probated to be valid.
Knowing which instruments allow them to select who they want to leave their possessions to gives our clients a strong first step in starting their estate plan, while simultaneously giving peace of mind.
Power to Make Financial Decisions
A final worry we commonly hear is that our clients’ finances won’t be cared for in their absence. When we hear this, we recommend a Power of Attorney. In a Power of Attorney, you name an Attorney-in-Fact to make financial decisions if you are incapacitated or absent. You also enumerate the scope of power that your Attorney-in-Fact is given as well as the assets that they have control over. You can have one Power of Attorney that covers all of your finances, or a series of them for specific properties or accounts.
Knowing the route to take to protect their financial interests is a strong place for our clients’ their estate plan and gives comfort about the future.
We understand how daunting the thought of starting the estate planning process can be. So, tell us your greatest worry, and we’ll work from there.
Why Hire an Elder Law Attorney? Elder law attorneys specialize in estate planning, incapacity planning, and end-of-life care for seniors, helping them remain in their homes and protect against abuse. They are essential in planning for the future and addressing the needs of a vulnerable population. How Can an Elder Law Attorney Help? Long-Term Care Planning: As the number of Americans over 65 is projected to exceed 80 million by 2040, planning for long-term care is increasingly important. Elder law attorneys assist seniors in creating financial plans to cover essential needs like food, rent, and medical care. They also guide clients in applying for public benefits such as Medicaid and Medicare. Housing: Many seniors wish to age in place. Attorneys can represent clients in landlord-tenant disputes, helping them navigate issues like city ordinance violations. They also protect seniors against housing discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. Estate Planning Document Preparation: Elder law attorneys draft critical documents such as wills, health care directives, and powers of attorney, ensuring that seniors rights are protected regarding retirement benefits and medical decisions. A solid estate plan reduces family stress and potential inheritance disputes. Incapacity Planning: Attorneys can help document care wishes for seniors facing disabilities or conditions like dementia. With the rising number of Alzheimers cases, having a plan for incapacity is vital for protecting financial and physical well-being. Guardianship: In cases where an older adult cant make decisions due to conditions like dementia, attorneys assist family members in securing guardianship, which involves legal proceedings and court hearings. They can also advocate for the seniors autonomy by exploring alternatives to full guardianship. Combating Elder Abuse: Elder abuse is a significant public health issue, affecting one in six adults aged 60 and older. Elder law attorneys are well-versed in the rights of seniors and can provide legal recourse against abusers while implementing safeguards like advance directives to protect against financial exploitation. By addressing these diverse needs, elder law attorneys play a critical role in supporting the aging population and ensuring their rights and well-being are protected. Editors Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.This article was submitted by Ashley Day, Esq. Reach her at 251-277-3377.
When I ask our younger clients if they would like to complete a Health Care Directive, they often say no, stating that they are too young to need such a thing. My response is always, What does age have to do with end-of-life decisions? I can think of at least fifty examples of a young person ending up in the end stage of life and a family member having to make difficult decisions on their behalf. Please, do not get lulled into complacency by thinking that age is protection. I was in my doctors office recently when I noticed a large collage talking about the importance of having a Living Will or Health care Directive. It emphasized the importance of having such a document, regardless of how old you are, reinforcing to me what our office always stresses to our clients and the community. A Health care Directive is a document in which each of us tells our loved ones how we want the end of our life to be handled. When we are in a permanent vegetative state, a permanent state of unconsciousness, or in the end-stage of a medical condition, all with no reasonable likelihood of any significant recovery, it provides answers such as Do you or do you not want to be resuscitated, to you want tube feeding, and appoints an agent that can serve to make decisions for you once you are unable to do so yourself. One of the quotes on the doctors display said, End-of-life decisions should not be made at the end of life. Another said, For human beings, life is meaningful because it is a story, and in stories, endings matter. Another said, I have an Advanced Directive, not because I have a serious illness, but because I have a family. Most of us know what medical decisions we want at the end of our lives, but have we communicated that to our family and loved ones? When we meet with clients to help them create estate planning documents, we always point out to them that they have the option in their Health Care Directive of deciding what, if any, extraordinary measures they want to be taken at the end of their lives. Once they select those options, we then come to perhaps the most difficult question of all: Should these instructions be binding on their families and providers, or do they want their loved ones to be able to override their decisions? Many opt for binding instructions so their loved ones do not have to make any of those difficult decisions in the heat of a devastating crisis. Either way, they have expressed their desire to guide their loved ones. Age is not a factor in creating a Health Care Directive; tragedy can strike unexpectedly at any age. The expense is low, but the peace of mind comes from knowing that when our time comes, we have already made those decisions for ourselves and our loved ones. So, start the conversation with your family. Communicate your wishes to them and urge them to communicate theirs to you. Then, go to a qualified estate attorney and put those wishes on paper so that when your time comes, all involved, including your medical providers, know how you want the end of your life to be managed. We offer FREE Workshops each week. You can also call our office at (717) 208-2899.
Durable Power of Attorney Documents: Why They Are IMPORTANT Adults make decisions every day in life. You make financial choices regarding banking, paying bills and managing assets. You decide with whom to socialize and also where to live. You make health care decisions such as consenting to or refusing treatment, obtaining medical records and choose a course of treatment when ill. But what happens if you are too sick or disabled to manage these decisions? Before it is too late, have you prepared for someone to act on your behalf in the event of a crisis or if you are unable to manage decisions on your own? Adding a person to your bank accounts is not the answer because, among other reasons, it is dangerous and places your accounts at risk. Thankfully, there is a key legal tool for substitute decision making called a Durable Power of Attorney. A Durable Power of Attorney means one person (the principal) gives legal authority to another (the agent or attorney-in-fact) to act on behalf of the principal. Durable means the agent can act when the principal loses capacity. A General Durable Power of Attorney permits your agent to manage any part or all of your financial affairs and property. A Health Care Durable Power of Attorney enables your agent to make any or all health care decisions if you become incapacitated. A Living Will allows you to spell out your desired medical treatment regarding life-saving procedures, artificial nutrition and artificial hydration if you become unable to speak for yourself and have a terminal illness, or are in a persistent vegetative state. Choosing the right person as an agent is a very important decision and should be given careful consideration. It should be someone who is trustworthy, honest, knows how to handle money and accepts the responsibility as an agent. This agent owes a duty to the principal called a fiduciary duty, which means the agent has to act in the principals best interest, in good faith and with care, and keep good records. Abuse by an agent or a breach of fiduciary duty can be punishable civilly and criminally. A principal has the control to revoke a Power of Attorney at any time. If you become incapacitated and have not executed Power of Attorney documents, court proceedings called Guardianship and Conservatorship may be needed for someone to obtain decision making authority, which is both time consuming and costly. However, this may be avoided by planning in advance the execution of Durable Power of Attorney documents, which give you greater control and freedom of choice in an affordable manner. This article was written by Donna A. Schuyler, Attorney, who practices in the areas of estate planning, elder law, guardianship and probate. Donna Schuyler Law, PLLC; elderlawboise.com; Phone 208-344-1947
Welcome to Lear & Lear. Lear & Lear offers comprehensive estate planning services designed to cater to various needs and circumstances, ensuring that clients are well-prepared for their futures. Our services span from creating Wills and trusts, updating existing estate plans, drafting Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives, creating guardianships and conservatorships, and to navigating the complexities of probate. Estate Planning Services:- Lear & Lear emphasizes the importance of creating a tailored estate plan that may include Wills, Trusts (living, testamentary, revocable, irrevocable, funded, or unfunded), and other estate planning tools. Our approach is to provide peace of mind by ensuring smooth transitions during times of bereavement and incapacity, as well as safeguarding your wishes and assets for the future. Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives:- Recognizing the critical role of Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives, Lear & Lear assists clients in designating trusted individuals to manage financial and healthcare decisions. These documents are essential for ensuring that your preferences are honored in cases of incapacity, providing a layer of protection, and avoiding unnecessary legal complications. Basic Estate Plan Components:- A typical estate plan outlined by Lear & Lear may include a Will, Trust, General Assignment of Assets, Financial Power of Attorney, and an Advance Health Care Directive. Each component plays a crucial role in ensuring your assets are managed according to your wishes, providing comprehensive coverage from asset protection to healthcare decisions. Real Estate and Probate Avoidance:- Our firm also addresses the intricacies of real estate within estate planning, offering guidance on ownership types like Joint Tenancy and Tenancy in Common, and strategies such as Life Estates and Transfer on Death Deeds to bypass probate and ensure direct transfer of property to beneficiaries. This service is particularly valuable for clients looking to streamline the transfer of valuable real estate assets. Probate and Estate Planning Connection:- Our firm has a clear understanding of the complexities of probate, differentiating between formal and informal probate and the impact of having a Will or Trust on the probate process. Our expertise extends to facilitating a smoother process or avoiding probate altogether through strategic estate planning, thus saving time, reducing legal fees, and preventing disputes among beneficiaries. Role of Probate Attorneys:- For clients navigating the probate process, Lear & Lear outlines the importance of having a skilled probate attorney. We offer comprehensive support as probate attorneys, from valuing assets and filing court documents to managing estate taxes and settling disputes. Our emphasis on empathetic, expert guidance reflects our strong commitment to making the probate process as stress-free as possible for you. For individuals or families looking to secure their future and ensure their wishes are respected, Lear & Lear offers a robust and empathetic approach to estate planning and probate. Our services have been designed to address the legal, financial, and personal aspects of estate planning, ensuring clients receive personalized advice and support tailored to their unique circumstances. Our team of attorneys is here to help you make the best possible decisions for you and your loved ones. Reach out to us today by phone at (385) 334-4030, or by email at katie@skvlegal.com.