Estate Planning

Because your family deserves the opportunity to grieve.

Planning for the Future – Recommended Legal Documents

Incapacity Planning

Two important pieces that allow you to plan for the future:

1) Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)

• An EPA allows you to appoint someone else to manage your financial affairs while you are still alive, but no longer have the ability to do so.
• If this document is not in place and you become incapacitated, your family will need to apply to the court to take control of your financial affairs and this can be costly and take a great deal of time, in the interim, your finances are not able to be managed.
• You will appoint an Attorney to this role and you should consider naming alternates when drafting the document, should the first person named be unable or unwilling to fulfill this important role.

2) Personal Directive

• A Personal Directive allows you to appoint someone else to manage your personal, non-financial matters, while you are still alive, but no longer have the ability to do so.
• If this document is not in place and you become incapacitated, your health and welfare decisions may fall to a spouse or child that you did not intend.
• You will name an Agent to this role and you should consider naming alternates when drafting the document, should the first person named be unable or unwilling to fulfill this important role.

Estate Planning

Will

• Once deceased, a will allows you to pass on your belongings to your loved ones according to your wishes.
• If you die without a will, it is often more costly, complicated and time-consuming to settle your estate.
• You will name an executor/executrix for your will, and you should consider naming alternates for this role when drafting the document, should the first person named be unable or unwilling to fulfill this important role.