It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much money you have, there are 4 legal documents you need to have. A last will and testament, a power of attorney, a health care proxy and a living will. These have all become necessities into today’s world. Everyone knows what a will is and why it’s important. But not everyone knows about the benefits of having a health care proxy, a power of attorney and a living will.
While you can draw up a will by yourself using online sites or software, the other 3 legal documents require a lawyer’s attention. A lawyer can draw up all 4 documents for a small fee. This fee is minimal in comparison to what they can accomplish for you and your loved ones.
Why are these legal documents so important?
You’re going to spend a few hundred dollars for a lawyer to put these legal documents together. So, it’s important to know what you’re getting for your money. These legal documents are extremely important, and here’s why:
This document lets everyone know what you want done with your possessions and money after your death. It also deals with custody of your dependent children, should you have any. If you do not have a will when you die, then the State makes all of the decisions about what happens to your belongings. If you’d like more information about writing a will, read YourBeanstalk’s Writing a Last Will and Testament.
A power of attorney gives a specific person you select the right to make financial decisions if you are deemed unable or unfit by a physician to make these decisions. You (the Principal) would elect a proxy (the Agent or Attorney-in-Fact) to pay your bills, handle your debts and provide money for your loved ones. This happens in the event that you become severely ill or injured and unable to make sound decisions about your money
In this document, you elect a person to make decisions regarding your health, should you become unable to make them. If you get injured or become ill and cannot make your own decisions about your health, this person steps in to make health decisions. They would decide if you were attached to life support or given a feeding tube. The purpose of a health care proxy is to make decisions regarding your health that you did not foresee when drawing up your living will.
4) Living Will
A living will is documentation of what you want done should you become terminally ill or incapacitated. This comes into play if there is no hope of you recovering well enough to make decisions regarding your health. It outlines whether or not you would like to be given CPR, given nutrition and hydration or allowed to die. Whatever might occur to you that is not care covered explicitly in your living will can then be determined by your health proxy.
While making the decisions for these legal documents may be depressing, they can also give you peace of mind. You can rest assured knowing that, should something befall you, things will end the way you want them to. Those you love will be safe and know that in the end, your wishes were fulfilled.
On April 23, 2008, 3:39 pm John Patterson said:
Looking for healthcare proxy