A Power of Attorney will allow you to appoint a trusted loved one, friend, or another individual who you have confidence in to make important legal and financial decisions on your behalf if you find yourself unable to do so to make sure that your best interests are kept in mind and that your matters are taken care of the way you want.
An Advance Health Care Directive can inform (or “direct”) health care professionals and loved ones so that they know how you would like to approach end-of-life scenarios, and can give your stance on issues involving life support, forms of care and treatment, and pain management, among many others. You can give your healthcare agent(s) the ability to aid in your care by completing important tasks like changing healthcare providers, obtaining medical information otherwise protected by HIPPA, or just being present and accompanying you during any kind of treatment. An Advance Directive can help those you love avoid the burden of making life-altering decisions without your input.
In preparing a Will, consideration is given to tax matters and the preservation of wealth within a particular family or to designated third parties. Personal Representatives can be selected to be responsible for handling your affairs concerning the people and property you leave behind.
Your Will can include from the broadest designation (“I give all of my property to . . .”) to the most specific (“I leave my Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card to . . .”), and can even provide for those who are too young to handle the property you leave them through special trust provisions. You can do what you wish with what you own. Death does not change that.
During both marriage and divorce, major changes take place. Your estate plan should reflect these changes. At the Law Office of Joel E. Segall, we help clients update their estate plans and beneficiary designations to reflect changes in their marital status, so that they provide only what they wish to whom they wish—even when they’re no longer with us.