What is a Power of Attorney & when/why do you need one?

In California, there are two kinds of powers of attorney: one for finances and one for medical decisions, also called an advance directive or living will.  A power of attorney for finances gives another individual the power to handle your financial affairs if you become incapacitated and cannot manage them on your own, like when you are hospitalized.  While you are unable to manage your own affairs, someone else can ensure that your bills are paid and utilities stay on for when you return.  The power of attorney is necessary because banks generally will not allow access to your accounts without a formal document giving specific permission to someone else, even if you are the spouse, parent, or sibling of the person who is incapacitated.

Similarly, a power of attorney for medical decisions gives the power to another person to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapable of doing so due to illness, accident, or other problem.  It specifies what kind of medical treatment you do or do not want, and in the absence of one, the doctors will do all that they can to keep you alive as long as they can, even if you are in a persistent vegetative state.  In addition, in California there is the HIPAA authorization for medical records so that the person who is making your medical decisions can also look at your medical records.

Every individual 18 or over needs to have these three documents.  Sometimes, parents assume that their college-age children do not need these documents because they will be listened to as parents.  This is not always the case, so any child going off to college, or just turning 18 needs to have these documents.  Similarly, aging parents need to have one as well to avoid the difficult conservator process if they become incapacitated without proper powers of attorney.

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Top five excuses to avoid preparing your estate plan…

1. I don’t want to think about it. No one wants to think about getting older, becoming incapacitated, or leaving this world. We all believe that we’re going to live forever. But we’re not. In fact, we’re all going to go sometime, so denying that it’s happening at all is not going to stop it. Chances are, too, that you DO in fact think about it, and your thoughts take on the quality of worrying (if you’re not thinking about it now, believe me, you will as you get older). Worrying about it is not going to protect you and your family; only doing something – your estate plan – will stop the worry and give you peace of mind. If you’re going to be thinking about it anyway, why not just get your estate plan done?
2. I don’t have time. You might think that preparing your estate plan will take hours and hours, involve multiple meetings, and generally deprive you of family time, work time, and free time. Not so! Most of my estate plans are completed in two one-hour meetings. Yes, there are serious questions that you have to answer, but you’ve certainly already thought about most of them and they’re really not all that hard to answer anyway. All told? Two, maybe three hours total.
3. I don’t have money. If you leave your estate to probate, then your heirs are not going to receive up to 10% of your gross estate, and in fact may be PAYING to transfer your property. You’ll be leaving your family tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars LESS than if you would have had an estate plan. Why wouldn’t you spend a quarter to save $100?
4. I don’t have enough money to need an estate plan. A estate with just $600,000 (think house, life insurance and some retirement) can save nearly $100,000 by creating an estate plan over going through probate. Could you stand to save $100,000? Is your family worth it?
5. I trust my family to do what’s right. Putting the decisions in the hands of your family is more of a burden than anything else. Once something happens to you, your loved ones will be shocked and grieving (you are still shocked when someone passes, even when you’re expecting it). Allow them to grieve – allow them the time and space. Don’t add to their suffering by also making them guess what you would have wanted.

What are you waiting for? Contact us today to schedule your free estate planning consultation.

Powers of attorney: What they do and do you need one?

As a part of my comprehensive estate plans, I provide my clients with Powers of Attorney.  In California, there are two kinds of powers of attorney: one for assets and one for health care.  Powers of attorney come into play while you are still alive, but you are incapacitated and/or unable to make decisions on your own behalf.  This can be due to accident, illness, or cognitive impairment such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Your power of attorney for assets allows the person of your choice (generally your spouse first, then a close friend or family member if your spouse is unable) to manage your finances.  This means that, while you are incapacitated, your mortgage and electric bills can still be paid.  The power of attorney for medical care allows the person of your choice to make medical decisions on your behalf.  It includes the medical advance directive, which tells the doctors how to treat you if you are in a persistent vegetative state.  If you do not sign a power of attorney and you become incapacitated, then your family must go to court for a lengthy and expensive process to obtain conservatorship over you.  Executing powers of attorney is thus a critical aspect of your estate plan that protects you, your family, and your assets as you move through the stages in your life.  Here is a video on this topic: