Wills
Wills
A Will is a legal document that controls how your assets are distributed after death. A Will can help you accomplish many important tasks that will occur after you pass away, including, but not limited to:
- naming a guardian for your minor children
- making charitable gifts
- identify who will receive your assets
- name an executor to manage your estate
Ideally, a will is a place to convey the person's wishes before they die. Wills need to be in writing, signed by or at the direction of the one making the Will, and singed by two others who witnessed the signing. When contested, courts try to uphold the intent of the person who made the Will, looking at the entire Will and considering surrounding facts and circumstances. Therefore it is important the Will is drafted appropriately, clearly expresses the intent of the individual and ensures it comports to all appropriate laws.
Health Care Directives
Health Care Directives
An advanced health care directive provides directions and instructions to an healthcare providers about the type and course of treatment you want to be followed if you cannot make these decisions at that time due to incapacity or an illness. This provides the designated individual, within the advance health care directive, the authority to make healthcare decision on behalf of the incapacitated person. The advance health care directive details the medical services the incapacitated person wants or does not want at the end of life.
Power of Attorney
Power of Attorney
- filing taxes
- buying and selling real estate
- operating businesses
- handling bank transactions
- entering into contracts
Types of Power of Attorney
- Durable Power of Attorney: Becomes effective immediately unless otherwise specified and allows your agent to continue acting on your behalf even when you become incapacitated
- General Power of Attorney: Gives your agent broad authority to act on your behalf making financial, business, real estate and legal decisions. This terminates when you become incapacitated unless it's durable, or upon death.
- Limited Power of Attorney: Allows your agent to act on your behalf but only for specific purposes or tasks. Generally this terminates once the purpose and/or specific task has been completed.
- Springing Power of Attorney: Only becomes effect if a specific event, medical condition (typically incapacitation), or event specified within the document occurs. It can end at a specified time, when you become incapacitated, or upon death.
Wills
Wills
A Will is a legal document that controls how your assets are distributed after death. A Will can help you accomplish many important tasks that will occur after you pass away, including, but not limited to:
- naming a guardian for your minor children
- making charitable gifts
- identify who will receive your assets
- name an executor to manage your estate
Ideally, a will is a place to convey the person's wishes before they die. Wills need to be in writing, signed by or at the direction of the one making the Will, and singed by two others who witnessed the signing. When contested, courts try to uphold the intent of the person who made the Will, looking at the entire Will and considering surrounding facts and circumstances. Therefore it is important the Will is drafted appropriately, clearly expresses the intent of the individual and ensures it comports to all appropriate laws.
Health Care Directives
Health Care Directives
An advanced health care directive provides directions and instructions to an healthcare providers about the type and course of treatment you want to be followed if you cannot make these decisions at that time due to incapacity or an illness. This provides the designated individual, within the advance health care directive, the authority to make healthcare decision on behalf of the incapacitated person. The advance health care directive details the medical services the incapacitated person wants or does not want at the end of life.
Power of Attorney
Power of Attorney
- filing taxes
- buying and selling real estate
- operating businesses
- handling bank transactions
- entering into contracts
Types of Power of Attorney
- Durable Power of Attorney: Becomes effective immediately unless otherwise specified and allows your agent to continue acting on your behalf even when you become incapacitated
- General Power of Attorney: Gives your agent broad authority to act on your behalf making financial, business, real estate and legal decisions. This terminates when you become incapacitated unless it's durable, or upon death.
- Limited Power of Attorney: Allows your agent to act on your behalf but only for specific purposes or tasks. Generally this terminates once the purpose and/or specific task has been completed.
- Springing Power of Attorney: Only becomes effect if a specific event, medical condition (typically incapacitation), or event specified within the document occurs. It can end at a specified time, when you become incapacitated, or upon death.
