Linda Grear discusses important Estate Planning Documents.  She goes into detail about why you should prepare Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney, and Health Care Directive.

Tags: Estate Planning, Health Care Directive, health care proxy, last will and testament, power of attorney

A Power of Attorney is an important document that allows you (“the principal”) to appoint an agent to make decisions concerning your legal and financial matters in the event you are unable to do so for yourself. If you have not executed a Power of Attorney document and you become incapacitated, a guardianship court proceeding will be required to authorize someone to make legal decisions on your behalf. A guardianship proceeding can take several months and cost several thousand dollars to complete. The good news is that creation of a valid Power of Attorney can avoid the necessity of a guardianship proceeding. As such, the execution of a Power of Attorney document is a very important estate planning tool. Read on…

Tags: chapter 644 of the laws of 2008, general obligations law, health care proxy, health insurance portability and accountability act, hipaa, power of attorney

Over 100 Million American adults have not designated an agent to make medical decisions or documented the type of care they desire. Although it can be a difficult issue to tackle, it is important for all adults to think about who would make certain medical decisions for them in the event they were too sick to convey their wishes personally. In some cases, the individuals assume that their spouses or children can step in and take over the medical decision-making. However, New York is one of a few states that do not Read on…

Tags: health care agent, health care proxy, living will

EVALUATING THE NEED FOR NEW OR REVISED ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS

Given the current state of the world economy and recent local events, many of our clients have expressed a desire get their financial and household business matters in order. There are three basic estate planning documents that all individuals should consider when planning and organizing a life plan strategy, although the specific content of those documents will differ by personal circumstances. Read on…

Tags: credit shelter trust, disclaimer trust, Estate Planning, guardian, health care proxy, last will and testament, life plan strategy, living will, power of attorney