Happy Mother’s Day! – Ladimer Law Office PC

This Mother’s Day, when you are talking with your spouse, mother, or grandmother, ask them if they have an estate plan?  In addition to legal documents, have they made arrangements for their passing?  Many people do seek legal advice to establish and estate plan, but the planning does not end with the attorney.  After the legal documents are in place, clients then need to have discussions with their loved ones about their plans, where their important documents are kept, who to contact, and what their wishes are.  Like so many things in life, communication is key.

We advise our clients to have open discussions with their named family members, and their named agents.  For example, if Jane Doe executes a durable power of attorney, and names her sister Sally Doe as her attorney-in-fact, but never tells Sally of this, when a unexpected event occurs Jane may be out of luck.   If Jane needs help with her finances but has never communicated with Sally that her documents were in place, how can Sally use them?  Moreover, what if the papers are lost, who does Sally reach out to get copies, or better, another original?  We advise our clients to not only have the discussions about your end of life wishes, but about who is named as the agents in your documents, where you keep the originals, and who to get in touch with if there are questions.  Being informed can be half the battle!

As we all know, moms do so much for their families.  This Mother’s Day, talk with your mother to see if she has made any arrangements, and if not, help open up the discussion with her.  Estate plans can be a gift to your loved ones by letting them know you aren’t going to leave them with a mess to deal with on top of losing you.