Your estate plan is about so much more than you and your wishes. It’s also about supporting other people and choosing which people will play a role in handling your affairs. Knowing that you have reliable people in your life who recognize their potential and are interested in helping you in the event of an emergency or in helping distribute your estate after you pass away can give you peace of mind and clear planning for the future. You need to think about the reliable people in your life who could assist you, such as helping to manage your finances under a financial power of attorney, acting out your health wishes and making sure that these desires are represented to doctors if something happens to you and you’re unable to speak for yourself, or helping you qualify for Medicaid in the event that you need long term care. If you have a spouse, you may assume that your spouse is the default person to be named as the reliable party. However, you may also need to name contingent parties, such as a backup executor for your estate if your spouse passes away before you do, or a successor trustee or beneficiary on trust or life insurance policies.
Working with a Pasadena estate planning lawyer can help you to determine the potential risks you may face while you’re still alive, as well as the important people you need to appoint for managing your affairs after you pass away. This will give you significant confidence about protecting your future and ensuring that your wishes are respected in the event of an emergency.
