I love holidays! I love the lights and the colors and the smells and the gathering of family and friends. I look forward to each year with anticipation and excitement.
But holidays are also a way of keeping track of the passing years. It seems like just yesterday I was sneaking down the stairs to see what Santa had delivered. However, it’s been a lot of years since I was good at sneaking anywhere!
Sometimes it is easier to tell when a parent is losing his or her edge when we only see them on the holiday. When we talk on the phone, we don’t see the extra time it takes for them to get out of a chair. And perhaps we have never noticed before that there are times when they go into a room and seem to forget why they went there.
Now might be a good time to talk with your parent about making sure they have all of their estate planning documents in place and current.
Most people are confident that they need a Will to distribute their ‘stuff’ after their death, but what about the other documents that will help them as they get older?
A General Durable Power of Attorney is one very valuable document that must be signed while the person has the cognitive ability to do so. A Medical Directive (also known as a ‘living will’) is another.
These documents can go a long way to improve the quality of life of our parents (or ourselves). They also make it easier for those family members that will need to help the elders in our lives.
And at this time of year, when we are all thinking about gifts, perhaps we should consider the gift of peace of mind….for ourselves and for our families.
We would love to meet with you and discuss the various parts of an estate plan and how we can help you achieve a little more peace of mind. Please consider calling us at 757-234-4650 to schedule an estate planning consultation.
If you have any questions about this or any other legal subject, please feel free to give us a call at 757-234-4650 or visit our website at http://www.BeaversLaw.com.
Tags: Advance Directive, Elder Law, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Medical Directive, Power of Attorney, Trust, Will