Advance Directives and Planning

Plan now for the future—Advance directives and estate planning are important for you and your loved ones. With proper planning and preparation, your affairs can be managed in the way you want, and your loved ones cared for, even after you are unable to do so yourself. 

Plan for transition—My family has a tradition of farming that goes back to the 1860’s. The farm has passed from one generation to the next by planning not only for the transfer of land but also for the succession of the business operation as part of the estate planning process so that the operations and traditions can carry on. Have you planned for the future of your family and your business?

Service Members and Veterans—When preparing for deployments, change of duty stations, or separation from service, it is important to make plans and review those plans. Service Members and Veterans face unique challenges and opportunities. When planning, it is important to know what benefits are available to you and make plans accordingly.

Life does not always go as planned; plan for contingencies—A wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, so she and her husband did all of their planning assuming she would die first. Unexpectedly, her husband predeceased her, leaving the wife to sort things out during the short time she had left. Contingency planning is important. Consider the possibilities. Name alternate beneficiaries and fiduciaries. 

Advance directives designating agents to act on your behalf—By designating trusted agents in advance to manage your property and financial affairs (under authority of a power of attorney) and make health care decisions on your behalf, you may avoid the need of costly guardianship proceedings if you are no longer able to manage your own affairs. With advance planning now, you can avoid problems later.

Express your wishes so others know what you want—When a family member is terminally ill, the importance of a health care proxy and living will (directives) is obvious. But if you are in an emergency situation, knowing a person’s wishes ahead of time is also important. It is important to talk with those close to you about your wishes, designate a health care agent and document your wishes in a living will.

Managing day-to-day matters—Planning is not just for end-of-life situations; it is also for day-to-day matters and temporary separations. If a loved one is temporarily incapacitated or away from home, there should be a trusted person that can manage the financial matters. 

Designate temporary and permanent guardians for children—When our children were young, I was concerned what would happen if something happened to me while my husband was deployed. We have no family nearly so if something happened to me while my husband was away, I did not know who the authorities would call to care for our children. If you have children, have you considered what happens to them if you are not able to care for them? Have you designated a temporary guardian for your child/ren? Would you want that same person to be the permanent guardian for your child/ren?