You Have to Prepare for Storms

In the same way that you have to prepare for physical storms of life, such as hurricanes, high winds, and snow storms, you have to be prepared for the other storms in life.  Those storms can include stroke, dementia, heart attack, mental disability, your children’s divorce, car wreck law suits, and law suits by tenants... [Read More]

Use Written End of Life Directives

We are all going to pass on.  Even Lazarus, who Jesus called out of the tomb, eventually passed on again and is not here among us. A Living Will gives your consent to removal of life support (often a ventilator) if you are terminally and incurably ill and death is imminent, or if you are... [Read More]

Plan for Mental Disability

You are six times more likely to become mentally disabled in a year than to pass on.  Estate Planning is about planning for as many contingencies as possible.  Mental decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s, or some other version of mental decline seems to be growing as we age.  In a Revocable Living Trust a/k/a Living Trust, you... [Read More]

Access to Aged Parents

Sometimes there will be friction between adult children or step parents and an aged child which will preclude access to an adult child’s parent, especially if that adult parent is in a weakened condition mentally or physically. I had a friend call me recently where the octogenarian “wicked step mother” was limiting this middle aged... [Read More]

Will Your Health Care Power of Attorney/Proxy Work Out of State?

Most Health Care Powers of Attorney (also know as Health Care Proxies in some states) are designed to work within the state in which the lawyer drafted them.  Many times they contain written references to state specific statutes, such as here in North Carolina.  Unfortunately, they may not work in another state when you cross... [Read More]

A Will Cannot Plan for Mental Disability

A Will is only effective when you die, not before.  It only moves assets that are titled in your name through the Probate Court.  If there is real estate in different counties and different states, you may have multiple Probates to move those pieces of land.  The Will cannot plan for Mental Disability care.  We... [Read More]