In effect, advance directives allow you to decide, while you are alive and well, the type of care you want and the person you want to make the decisions for you. They allow you to better ensure that your wishes will be followed, and spare your loved ones from making such important decisions on your behalf without knowing what you would have wanted.

Nobody wants to think about advance directives, but the consequences of not creating them far outweigh the difficulty of creating them in advance. We invite you to contact us for experienced counsel about the directives available and the ideal person or persons to serve as your agent.

The post Why You Need Advance Directives appeared first on Estate Planning Law Center.

If your documents are stored on your computer, do your loved ones have the file name or password necessary to access them? If you’ve placed your planning documents in a safe, do your loved ones know the combination? If nobody can find your documents, they are about as valuable as the paper they are written on.

In addition to making sure your loved ones can access your advance directives, you should consider telling them about your wishes directly, particularly the manner in which you want to be cared for in an end-of-life situation. We understand how difficult it is to begin a conversation of this nature, and can help you find the best ways to broach the topic with your loved ones. Experience tells us that families who are able to open up in this manner draw closer together and feel a sense of relief afterwards.

The post Make Sure Your Advance Directives Are Available When They Are Needed Most appeared first on Estate Planning Law Center.