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When it comes to estate planning, you probably think of wills and trusts. But there are three other estate planning documents you should think about to make your plan complete:

1. A Living Will

1. A Healthcare Directive, also called an Advance Directive, Medical or Healthcare Power of Attorney, or Designation of Healthcare Surrogate

1. A Financial Power of Attorney

Planning for Medical Emergencies with a Living Will and Healthcare Directive

Having the right legal documents in place in case of a medical emergency is essential to providing a family member or trusted friend with guidance and decision-making authority during a difficult time.

A Living Will allows you to state your wishes about the type of medical treatment you do, or don’t, want to receive if you are injured and not expected to recover or become terminally ill.

A Healthcare Directive allows you to choose the trusted family member or friend who will be responsible for making healthcare decisions if, for any reason, you lose the ability to make them for yourself.

Don’t End Up Like Terri Schiavo

One of the well-known cases that highlights the need for a medical emergency plan is that of Terri Schiavo, a 26-year old Florida woman who collapsed and fell into a coma in February of 1990. Mrs. Schiavo didn’t have a Living Will or Healthcare Directive, and as a result was kept alive for 15 years while her husband and parents fought in court over taking her off life support. Finally, in March 2005, a Florida court ordered removal of Mrs. Schiavo’s feeding tube. She died 13 days later – and the autopsy proved that she had been brain dead since she collapsed 15 years earlier.

While the Schiavo case is an extreme one, it emphasizes the fact that without a medical emergency plan, your family members may be left to guess (or possibly fight) about your medical treatment and end-of-life wishes.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. A Living Will and Healthcare Directive can make your wishes known and legally enforceable. If you haven’t reviewed your healthcare documents in the last year, now is the time to make sure it reflects your current wishes. Call us today if you have any questions about health care decisions and how to best communicate them to your loved ones.

Planning for Property Management with a Financial Power of Attorney

A Financial Power of Attorney allows you to select a trusted family member or friend who will be responsible for managing your money and other property if you become mentally incompetent. Without this document, bank and investment accounts held in your name will become inaccessible, IRA distributions can’t be requested, bills won’t get paid, tax returns won’t be filed, and property can’t be bought or sold. Instead, a loved one may be forced into court to be appointed as the legal guardian, and a judge will oversee the guardian’s every move. A Financial Power of Attorney can provide authority to handle these issues without the court’s involvement.

Caution:  Financial Powers of Attorney Can Become Obsolete

Many Financial Powers of Attorney can be “obsolete” in as short as one year, because many institutions don’t want to rely on stale documents. Depending on your circumstances, a stale, obsolete power of attorney may not be able to help you and your family with:

• Insurance contracts – life, disability, long term care, property and casualty.

• Annuity contracts.

• Retirement plans – pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus plans, IRAs, 401(k)s and 403(b)s.

• Online financial accounts for banking and investments.

• Online personal accounts such as email, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

• Elder care and special needs planning.

If it’s been more than a year or two since you’ve signed your power of attorney, it might be time for a fresh one. Call us – we can help make sure you and your family are fully protected.

A Good Estate Plan Needs Up to Date “Ancillary” Documents

 
In the estate planning community, Living Wills, Healthcare Directives and Powers of Attorney are called “ancillary” documents. But don’t be fooled by the name – these documents are essential and should be updated as lives, finances, and laws change. Call us today with your questions, we’re always here to help.

When Circumstances Change, So Should Your Estate Plan

Your estate plan was written to reflect your situation at a specific point in time –  and – as we all know – our lives continually change, unfolding in ways we might not have anticipated. Just like you meet with your doctor, financial advisor, or CPA on a regular basis, you need to meet with us on a regular basis as well.
In this post, we:

• Identify and provide examples of life changes which typically trigger a need to update your plan
• Examine how often you should “check in” with our office

The goal?  To make sure that your estate plan achieves your goals and works for your family.

Update Your Estate Plan if Any of These 6 Circumstances Apply to You

1. Marriage, divorce, or death of a spouse
2. Changes in financial status – good or bad
3. The launch or wind down of a business
4. Birth, adoption, or death of a child or grandchild
5. Change in personal or family circumstances – including the need to replace trustees, address disabilities or addictions, moving to a new state, and more
6. Change in your goals – such as changing amounts of inheritances, adding or removing a charity, and more

It’s not just changes in your life you need to think about – Congress, the courts, and the legislatures are constantly changing the rulebook. If you haven’t had your will, trust, or estate plan reviewed since 2012 or if any of these 6 circumstances apply to you, it is essential to contact us, so we can get you back on track.

Examples of When You Should Update Your Trust

To illustrate when a revocable trust should be updated, let’s take a look at the Thomas family:  Jim and Carol have been married for 20 years and have three grown children. Several years ago, they created a trust to provide for themselves and their children.
However, since that time, their family has gone through many changes – some good and some not so good. Jim and Carol are considering updating their estate plan to reflect changes in their family’s circumstances. Here’s a look at their circumstances and how they may affect their estate plan:

• Divorce. Their eldest son has filed for a divorce from his wife. Jim and Carol need to update their revocable trust to exclude the soon to be ex-wife as an intended beneficiary.

• Changes in financial status. Carol’s aunt passed away and left her a great deal of money. Jim and Carol need to determine how this inheritance will affect their current plan and future estate tax liability.

• Birth. Their youngest child recently announced that she and her husband are expecting their first child. Jim and Carol need to update their trust in order to provide for the child.

• Changes in personal circumstances. Their middle son was recently diagnosed with a severe disability and can no longer work. He is eligible for government disability benefits, but receiving traditional trust income would disqualify him. Jim and Carol need to convert their son’s current trust into a special needs trust so the government does not consider that income for qualification purposes.

• Changes in tax law / venue. Jim and Carol moved from Chicago to Miami to beat the cold winters. Since their estate plan will now be subject to Florida (rather than Illinois) law, it’s time to determine if Florida law might provide them with additional benefits.

How Often Should You “Check In” On Your Estate Plan?  

It is a certainty that your life will change. All manner of life and financial changes make it necessary to “check in” on your estate plan.

We can help you to manage your plan. If it’s been 3 to 5 years – or – you have experienced significant life change since you signed your estate planning documents, call our office now. We’ll help you determine whether your estate plan needs to be updated. Life moves fast and procrastination can harm you and your loved ones. We welcome your call now.

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as written advice about a Federal tax matter. Readers should consult with their own professional advisors to evaluate or pursue tax, accounting, financial, or legal planning strategies.

After a very successful year in Provincetown at our 1 Winthrop Street location, we are moving to a bigger and better location just steps away at 167 Commercial Street.  Located in a mixed residential and commercial complex directly across the street from Joe Coffee, this new office space will now have 3 offices and 2 conference rooms with views of Provincetown Bay.

We look forward to serving our clients in our new location beginning June 1, 2013.  Stop by and say hello!