There’s a tendency to think that Estate Planning in Pennsylvania is only for those at or near retirement age. This is based on the premise that estate planning is only for outlining what happens to your belongings after you pass away, but it’s just as important that you plan for your life as it is your death.
A sudden disability, illness, or accident can raise a lot of legal questions very quickly. If you don’t have the appropriate Last Will and Testament, Power of Attorney, Living Will and other such legal estate planning documents in place, you leave your family in a difficult situation. While no one wants to think about being incapacitated, it’s an important issue to consider just in case. In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to activate your power of attorney and other documents, but, much like an insurance policy, it’s your form of protection in case you do need it.
One of the biggest reasons why people outside of the retirement age bracket need estate planning is to name a guardian for their children. Just as no one wants to think about a sudden accident causing a disability, it’s even harder to think about your own mortality, but it’s likely that you do have strong feelings about who you would like to raise your children if you were not able to do so.
If something does happen to you, this time would be very challenging for your children already. A turbulent and unstable situation could make this process even more difficult for them. That’s why you need to do the homework to ensure that you have fully documented who want to take over. Make sure you have a conversation with this person or people before you put together the documents with your Massachusetts estate planning attorney. Taking responsibility for someone else’s children is a serious matter and it’s a role that should only be given to someone who understands the full implications.
Ready to talk estate planning? Contact American Wills & Estates today.