Legal Matters
Brought to you by: Community Partner Bradford & Holliman
You need a current estate plan- not one from three decades ago. Don’t be an ostrich refusing to face the fact that you might get really sick and die. Remember the acronym MEGO which means “my eyes glaze over?” We all have certain triggers for a strong case of MEGO – taxes, health insurance, Medicare, personal finances, estate and funeral plans, yard work, and housework. Procrastination may feel good today, but it can come back to bite you, particularly late in life.
Get your affairs organized and have your personal team ready to take over at a moment’s notice. If dementia or a catastrophic accident or illness occurs, it’s too late… and that’s while you’re still alive. You should have durable power(s) of attorney set up to handle everything from healthcare to financial decisions for long-term care for you. If you are incapacitated, who is going to know and handle the details?
Select a responsible and competent executor (younger is better) and give them easy access to deeds, investment accounts, bank account details, life insurance policies, pre-need burial plans, and funeral preferences, as well as your will. Verify that your designated beneficiaries align with how your will splits your assets among your heirs. If your executor charges your estate for their work which can last for years, you can save funds for your heirs by making this process easier… but only with advance planning.
Your personal affairs team needs to know each other. Your executor needs to know your estate planning attorney, your financial advisor, your accountant, your life insurance agent, and your employer even if you are retired. If you are depending on your spouse, don’t fall into that comfortable specialization of duties based on each partner’s interests. When one of you becomes seriously ill or dies, saying, “well, he always handled that” could leave you in a true bind and could cost you the security you both expected to have for the rest of your life.
Yes, keeping your affairs organized and ready to handle crises takes a lot of work, but keep it current while both of you are in good health and can pass along the specialized info that will be needed. So, don’t be an ostrich, get busy!
-Melanie B. Holliman, JD
Partner at Bradford & Holliman
Estate Planning, Trusts & Special Needs
205-663-0281
No representation is made that the quality of the legal service to be performed is greater than the quality of service performed by other lawyers.
