Vacations can be the perfect opportunity to relax, disconnect from work and responsibilities, and enjoy the company of your spouse, partner, kids or friends. But before you head off on your next getaway, there’s something else you should consider doing that might not sound quite as fun: Creating an estate plan.
An estate plan ensures any medical decisions needed while away from home will be handled according to your wishes, and with as much ease as possible, no matter what the rules are where something happens. If you fall ill or become injured and can’t make medical decisions for yourself, your estate plan will ensure that decisions will be made by the person you choose, and with your indicated desires for your care at the forefront.
Without an estate plan in place, your family or friends could have a heavy lift to get you back home, locate your assets, keep your bills paid and even ensure your children get taken care of by the right people in the right way.
Lastly, an estate plan ensures that any debts or liabilities are taken care of properly in case something happens while on vacation. This can help prevent creditors from trying to collect from surviving family members after the fact.
Yes, even married couples need an estate plan. You might think that, because you are married, you don’t need an estate plan. Or you might even think your will is enough and would just handle everything. But that’s generally not the case.
Even if you are married, you still need medical powers of attorney, making it clear that you want your spouse to make medical decisions for you, or even potentially adding additional decision-makers. You still want a living will to give clarity on how you want medical decisions made for you.
Finally, if you have dependent children, you want to ensure you’ve made it as easy as possible for their care needs to be continued by the people you want, in the way you want. Without a plan in place, decisions around their care could be tied up for months, including access to the financial assets their caregivers would need to ensure they have what they need along the way.
Taking a few simple, yet critically important, steps now can save you and your family considerable headaches down the road if anything were ever to happen while on the road. Not only do we want you to enjoy each moment spent together, but we want peace of mind knowing that whatever comes your way is handled according to your wishes!
Send your questions to ccolan@colanlegal.com and use “Alpine Mountaineer estate planning question” as the subject. We’ll answer your questions in our upcoming issues.
This article is provided by your local estate planning attorney, Corina Colan.
The Law Office of Corina I. Colan / (909) 265-3315 / www.colanlegal.com
0 Comments