It is incredibly difficult to raise the topic of end of life considerations. At some point, someone will have to broach the subject, even if Mom or Dad have already made all of the necessary arrangements. It’s far different than retirement topics; these conversations have to do with funeral and burial arrangements, do not resuscitate orders, powers of attorney for medical decisions – the really tough topics. If you think about it and the mindset we’re in when we plan for retirement, it’s one … [Read more...] about Speaking of End of Life Choices
Advance Directives & HIPAA
The process of estate planning should best be viewed as a holistic endeavor that includes the eventualities of the twilight years leading into your ultimate passing. As a result, there are some things to take into consideration that are not purely financial in nature. One of these would be the possibility of suffering from incapacity as a senior citizen, or for that matter at any point in your life because unexpected tragic occurrences do take place impacting people of all ages. Advance … [Read more...] about Advance Directives & HIPAA
Estate Planning and End of Life Decisions
It's human nature to avoid some conversations and when we can't avoid them, we find ourselves stumbling over the words that must be said. Planning ahead for our medical futures and ultimately, death, is as crucial as it is disconcerting. We create estate plans for the future but as many estate planning lawyers can attest to, the moment end of life decisions are mentioned, many clients find themselves a bit hesitant. Despite all the medical breakthroughs over the past six decades, the most we … [Read more...] about Estate Planning and End of Life Decisions
Protect Yourself & Your Family With Advance Directives
Many people consider estate planning to be the realm of those who have reached retirement age, and of course statistically speaking older people pass away more frequently than do younger people. However, people of all ages would do well to have an estate plan in place because you never know what lies in wait around the next corner. Accidents do happen and we all see proof of this each day when we turn on the news or pick up a newspaper in the morning. Plus, devastating illnesses can strike … [Read more...] about Protect Yourself & Your Family With Advance Directives
What Exactly Is A Living Will?
We were all told back in grade school that the only stupid questions are those that are never asked. Some people understand the wisdom of this statement early on and others do not, but it is true that there is no reason to be embarrassed when you are not entirely sure about the meaning of something. Finding out the answers is always going to be the best course of action rather proceeding with assumptions that may be false. There is no reason why everyone would be an expert on everything (Cliff … [Read more...] about What Exactly Is A Living Will?
State Your Wishes With Advance Health Care Directives
Many people think estate planning and they immediately flash to the financial side, and of course this is a huge part of it. But it is important to recognize the fact that estate planning is one branch of the larger specialty of elder law. These days a comprehensive plan is going to address all of the eventualities of aging, and as life spans continually expand incapacity planning is now a must. When you consider the fact that people 85 years of age and older are the fastest growing portion of … [Read more...] about State Your Wishes With Advance Health Care Directives
Five Wishes: A Simple Advance Directive
Estate planning traditionally revolves around the intelligent distribution of financial assets after your death, but during more recent times the practice has expanded. In the West we tend to hold death at arm's length and avoid the subject, but the truth is that it is an inevitable part of life itself, and it should be planned for like anything else. Most people are going to go through a period of time at the end of their lives when it will become difficult or impossible to communicate their … [Read more...] about Five Wishes: A Simple Advance Directive
