A comprehensive estate plan is comprised of several documents beyond a Last Will and Testament, particularly if you have significant estate assets. A properly drafted estate plan provides peace of mind to you and your loved ones throughout many significant periods of your life, such as marriage, having children, periods of incapacity, death of a spouse, or a spouse or loved one’s admission into a long-term care facility.
The Last Will and Testament, or Will, is a document in which an individual called a testator dictates the distribution of the testator’s assets upon their death. The Will determines the beneficiaries of a testator’s estate as well as determines which individual should be named as executor. The executor is the individual who is tasked with administrating the decedent’s estate. Additionally, a Will also addresses other important estate issues, such as who serves as the guardian of any minor children, how inheritance tax is to be paid, or if any other special conditions occur before a beneficiary should have access to their inheritance.
All comprehensive estate plans include both an advanced healthcare directive and financial power of attorney documents. These documents elect an agent to make medical or financial decisions for an individual who has been deemed incapacitated, or unable to make these decisions for themselves. These documents allow an agent to engage with banks or other financial institutions on your behalf, or as in the case with medical power of attorney documents, allow your agent to communicate your intentions to a medical professional while steering clear of burdensome HIPAA privacy laws. Lastly, medical power of attorney contains a living will, which provides both your medical professional and family with directives if you have what is called an end-stage condition, colloquially known as a terminal illness. These documents greatly reduce the possibility of family quarrels by providing your family with explicit instructions regarding your wishes.
Our experienced attorneys can help ensure that your affairs are in order. No matter how complicated or simple your needs are, we can provide you peace of mind with a plan that is right for you.
Martson Law Offices has been serving clients in Central Pennsylvania for more than six decades. Our attorneys have the experience and knowledge you’d find at a big-city law firm, but we also have deep roots in the community and understands the legal issues facing our clients locally.
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