Estate planning is not just for after you pass away, it can also be very important for when you become ill or incapacitated during your life. The attorney at the Skillern Law Firm can assist with the creation of a comprehensive incapacity plan, as well as your estate planning for when you are gone. It is hard to contemplate and plan for if or when you will experience a major medical issue, but it is also necessary. Illnesses and medical issues can strike at any time, either through a disease or illness, or a carwreck or accident. Let’s go through some reasons how you can plan for an illness, and why you should. 
The most common estate planning documents to get done so your affairs can be handled by someone you trust while you’re alive but ill are the Durable Power of Attorney and the Advanced Directive. Please read those previous blog posts about those documents for more information. Our attorney usually creates and implements those documents in conjunction with a Will or Trust, taking care of our clients both through their life and their passing. Why are these recommended? There are three major reasons:
1. To Have A Say In Your Future Medical Care
Through a Health Care Power of Attorney and an Advanced Directive, you are able to direct your health care when you are too ill to talk to the doctors. In the Advanced Directive, you are able to have a say in if you’d like to accept or decline life sustaining treatment or heroic measures (like CPR or the defibrillator). You can also have a say in whether you’d like to be kept alive using a feeding tube. You can answer these important questions that will need to be answered if you suffer a serious medical emergency. If you suffer from an illness or get into a sudden medical emergency, these documents can be valuable to answer medical questions.
2. To Protect Your Assets And Staying Out of Court
If you become ill or incapacitated, and you do not have your estate planning documents set up, your family will have to go to court to obtain authority to manage your assets. This is usually through a court process called ‘guardianship” or ‘conservatorship.’ Anytime court is involved, there are time delays, and usually some surprises. Going to court can also have high stress on the family while you are ill (which is already a stressful situation), and can cost thousands of dollars in unnecessary legal expenses. Also, these delays can cause your investments to suffer losses due to lack of management, and your real estate to become abandoned. There is also the risk that the court may select someone you do not want to manage your assets. You can get rid of those delays and risks by being proactive and getting a written incapacity plan, outlining who you want managing your wealth if something happens to you.
3. To Spare Your Family Difficult Decisions
An Advanced Directive can take away stress and anxiety from your family members, who will not be forced to decide whether to pull the plug or withhold lifesaving care from you. If you express your preferences in legal documents, ahead of time, it can alleviate that stress. A Durable Power of Attorney can also alleviate stress because the Power of Attorney you nominate to take over your financial affairs will be able to seamlessly take over your accounts, so your day-to-day bills and medical bills can be paid.
The attorney at the Skillern Law Firm can help guide you through the available methods, including advanced directives, trusts, powers of attorney and more. We can explain the different ways through which you can plan ahead for incapacity and help put a plan in place that provides you and your loved ones with the protections you deserve. Call us for a free consultation today!
