If you are at least 18 years old, you can begin estate planning! A common misconception is that you need lots of stuff or to be approaching the end of your life to get use out of these documents. The truth is that these forms are prepared while you are living to explain how your wellbeing should be managed if you are to become incapacitated or how your estate will be distributed after you pass.

It is not always the case that these documents are prepared months or years in advance – sometimes certain files are prepared in the “eleventh hour” depending on a client’s capacity or soundness. Estate planning includes documents such as a power of attorney (POA), healthcare proxy or healthcare representative (healthcare POA), living will declaration, last will and testament, and trusts.

Regardless of your age, when you have a life changing medical event that will or does cause you to require physical or financial assistance, elder law often becomes the focus. Each year you age and don’t decide what happens to your wellbeing or stuff (as in estate planning) drastically limits the options for medical and financial assistance available later. That doesn’t mean there isn’t hope; simply put, the best scenarios for your goals may no longer be available.

Perhaps you do not have an advocate or asset protection documents – meeting with our attorneys at an initial consultation may help you regain footing to best move forward. This area of practice includes documents such as Guardianships, long-term care planning, Medicaid benefits (or Medicaid planning), Veteran’s benefits and assistance, or death administration (the process of moving assets through probate).