Living Will
Special Considerations for Women When Estate Planning
American women live on average 4.8 years longer than American men.Because women typically outlive their spouses, their estate planning documents are usually the ones that actually determine what happens to the family assets. However, the longer life span of women also means that women are more likely to experience a period of time at the end of their lives when they are unable to make their own decisions because they are incapacitated due to some medical condition.
Read MoreA Last Will & Testament is Not the Same Thing as a Living Will
Your Last Will & Testament is also where you appoint a legal guardian for your minor child in case both of the child’s parents are deceased. Doing so guides the court system and the family regarding the your wishes. For parents of young children, this may be the single most important part of a Last Will & Testament.
Read MoreSnowbirds Need to Pack Something Extra Before Heading South For The Winter
Many of our clients in North Idaho and Eastern Washington are “snowbirds”. I know some clients are even headed south early this year to escape the smoky air we’ve endured lately. If you are headed somewhere warm to spend the winter months, you will want to be sure you have packed more than just your sunscreen.
Read MoreWho Has the Final Say About Organ Donation in Idaho?
Often, clients have asked whether this authorization should be in their Last Will and Testament (“Will”). Your Will is a document that is rarely looked at by anyone other than you until after your death – and certainly your doctor or attending health care providers at a hospital are unlikely to have ever read your will.
Read MoreWHO HAS THE FINAL SAY ABOUT ORGAN DONATION IN IDAHO?
There are several things I think we should all understand about how Idaho law addresses the issue of organ donation and how we can use our estate planning documents to help make sure our wishes on this topic are followed. It is important to know that in Idaho, the law addresses organ donation from two…
Read MoreFollow These 4 Steps to Assess Your Own Estate Planning Documents
Estate planning consist primarily in putting into place those legal documents that each of us need to deal with what happens if we become incapacitated and what happens when we die. If you have estate planning documents in place and have any doubt about whether those documents are complete or up to date, the best thing you could do is bring them to an estate planning attorney to review and discuss with you. Some law firms, like mine, may do this for you without charge as a complimentary consultation. Getting an expert’s advice on the status of your documents is very valuable.
Read MoreLast Will & Testament vs. Power of Attorney Documents… and why you need both
So why do we need both documents? Simply because your Will generally has no effect until you are deceased and your Power of Attorney document generally has no effect once you are deceased.
Read MoreHow is a Living Will vs. different from a Last Will & Testament?
A Last Will & Testament is the document most people think of when they think about estate planning documents. Often a Last Will & Testament is just called a “Will”. This is the document you would use to leave instructions regarding what should happen to your possessions and assets when you die (who gets what), as well as who it is that should carry out your wishes (who’s in charge). This document is not used at all until you are deceased.
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