Boca Raton Advance Directives Lawyers
When people think of estate planning, they often focus on the “estate” aspect – creating the right set of Wills and Trusts to ensure that their estate is distributed according to their wishes after they are gone. But an equally important aspect of estate planning involves making sure you are properly protected and cared for during your lifetime. This can include financial planning, asset protection, and making sure you have the right legal directives in place so that your medical care and financial affairs will be managed the way you want if you become incapable of handling these matters on your own or communicating to others at the time. The estate planning attorneys at SAMUELS WOOD PLLC make sure your needs are met by drafting advance directives that set out your desires to let others know what they are, should the need ever arise. For quality advice and expert assistance in this critical area, contact our experienced Boca Raton advance directive lawyers today.
Durable Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is a legal document that lets another person act on your behalf. In legal terms, you are the principal, and the person holding your power of attorney is called your agent or attorney-in-fact, but such a person does not have to be an attorney. You can grant a power of attorney to a lawyer, another professional, a family member, or a friend you trust to act for you in an area where discretion or expertise is required, such as purchasing property or artwork or negotiating a business deal on your behalf.
A power of attorney can also be general in nature to allow another person to act on your behalf. When a power of attorney is “durable,” it stays in effect even if you lose legal capacity to act on your own due to something like an injury, illness, age-related decline, or memory impairment. A Power of Attorney may always be revoked at a later time.
A person holding power of attorney can write checks from your bank account and deposit money into it. They can pay your bills for you, making sure your mortgage and utilities stay current to protect your home from foreclosure. They can make business decisions for you and pay your taxes or hire a tax preparer to do your taxes at tax time.
If executing a power of attorney, it’s important to name a person you trust to perform this important responsibility. Meanwhile, our elder law experts will draft a valid power of attorney that will be honored by your bank and accepted anywhere it is presented.
Health Care Documents
Your estate plan should include a variety of healthcare legal documents to ensure that medical decisions are made according to your wishes, even if you become unable to make those decisions or communicate them at a critical time. Our estate planning lawyers draft a complete set of healthcare documents to ensure that someone of your choosing has the authority to make medical decisions for you and that they make the choices you would want them to make, including heroic life-sustaining measures or end-of-life decisions such as Do Not Resuscitate orders (DNRs) and organ donation. Our comprehensive estate planning lawyers make sure you have the complete set of documents you need to manage your health care under Florida law, including:
- Healthcare Surrogate Designations
- Living Wills
- HIPAA Release of Confidential Medical Records
- Designation of Preneed Guardian
Contact SAMUELS WOOD PLLC Today
To discuss your wishes regarding the various powers of attorney, healthcare documents and other advance directives to include in your estate plan, call the estate planning specialists of SAMUELS WOOD PLLC in Boca Raton today.
