Are you avoiding the making of a will?
Many people are reluctant to making a will. Understandably, we do not want to think about the worst-case scenario when we’re busy balancing family, personal and work commitments and living each day to the full.
But have you thought about the impact on your family members of you dying unexpectedly or becoming incapacitated without any documents in place to reflect your wishes?
Your family would have the pressure of making difficult emotional, financial and legal decisions without knowing your wishes or intentions.
Do you really want them to go through this distress when they’re
already grieving?
Making a will allows you to express your intentions as to how your estate should be distributed and ensuring that you provide adequately for all relevant family members.
Your will also allows you to nominate your executor/s who are responsible for administering your estate. This avoids unnecessary delays and costs in finalizing your estate.
Bob Zelden of Zelden Solicitors can assist you to prepare your will and other legal documents to ensure your assets are distributed in line with your intentions and your family is protected.
Accidents and illnesses can strike without warning, leaving you incapacitated and unable to understand, speak, make decision or communicate. Whilst you are incapacitated, legal and financial decisions need to be made on your behalf.
A Power of Attorney document allows you to nominate someone to make the decisions and do the things you would usually do for yourself and your family, such as signing documents, accessing your bank account to pay the mortgage, rent and bills, or selling your home if you need to move to an accessible home or care facility.
Without a Power of Attorney document, your assets can effectively be frozen until you can recover to communicate, make decisions and sign documents. Can you imagine the impact on your family?
Granting Power of Attorney to a trusted family member, friend or advisor can protect you and your family. By the time you need to call on a Power of Attorney document, it is too late to make one as you may not have the legal capacity to make decisions.
You don’t know what is around the corner, so it’s important to appoint your Attorney whilst you have full capacity to understand, make decisions, communicate and sign the document.
You can control your nominated Attorney by limiting how your Power of Attorney is to be used and to ensure your nominated Attorney can not take advantage of you or your family.
Bob Zelden of Zelden Solicitors can help you protect yourself and your family by discussing your needs and structuring and documenting your Power of Attorney in line with your personal requirements.
Do your family know your wishes in relation to your medical care, health services and lifestyle?
If you have an accident or suffer an illness that leaves you incapacitated, your family may be called on to make decisions about your medical treatment or procedures, or to move you to a care facility. Unless you have expressly told them your wishes, this can place even more pressure on them at a time when they are already distressed. They may also, with the best of intentions, make decisions for you that contradict your own wishes.
You can appoint an Enduring Guardian to make decisions on your behalf about medical care and procedures, health services and lifestyle, in the event you are no longer able to make those decisions.
You may already have a Power of Attorney in place for your financial and property affairs, so doesn’t it also make sense to safeguard your medical and lifestyle decisions?
Appointing an Enduring Guardian ensures that there is someone who you know and trust absolutely to make the important lifestyle decisions for you if and when the need arises.
Bob Zelden of Zelden Solicitors works with clients every day to assist them in communicating their wishes, explaining their options and finalizing legal documentation to nominate an Enduring Guardian, providing them and their
families with peace of mind.