At some point, most everyone will find themselves in the role of caregiver, to some degree, to someone in their family or maybe even a friend. While the actual physical care is top priority, there also exists a very important reality that will have to be addressed: the legal and financial considerations. There are no shortage of questions our estate planning lawyers hear on a daily basis and while it’s virtually impossible to provide specifics in a column, what we can try to do is put the … [Read more...]
The Conversation Project
A recent survey unveiled a few surprising mindsets in America and how we handle end of life matters. It’s being called “conversation disconnect” and it shows that 90 percent of us know we should have an end of life conversation with our loved ones, yet less than 30 percent of us have made that effort. The Conversation Project conducted the survey and as estate planning lawyers, we know all too well the awkwardness and uncertainty about discussing our final wishes with our family members. But we … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
Incapacity Planning
Estate planning is just a portion of the practice of elder law, and as we live longer it is important to make comprehensive plans to address any eventuality. The realities of after-death planning are evident, involving the recording of wishes that will hold sway after you are no longer around to make individual, ongoing decisions. However, there may come a time when you are still alive but unable to make medical decisions and conduct your financial affairs, and preparing for this possibility is … [Read more...]
