Avoiding the need for a conservatorship – the process whereby someone is appointed by a court to assume responsibility for the property or the personal welfare of an adult – and keeping your family out of Court can be accomplished by making plans for incapacity in your estate plan.
The most common ways to avoid the need for expensive and burdensome conservatorship proceedings through effective estate planning include:
Durable Financial Power of Attorney
Executing a durable power of attorney enables you to name a conservator to act on your behalf if you become incapacitated. The conservator is empowered to handle all your financial and business affairs in case you cannot do so yourself. Although the authority can become effective immediately, it can also be set up so that it only becomes active if or when you become incapacitated. A durable power of attorney must be executed before you become incapacitated or it will be too late.
Advance Health Care Directive
Executing an advance health care directive designates someone to serve as your agent for making health care decisions in the event of your incapacitation. This can include temporary hospitalizations or end-of-life care, and your choice should be someone you trust to honor your wishes when it comes to your medical care. This document must also be executed prior to any incapacitation.
Revocable Living Trust
Executing a revocable living trust avoids the need for conservatorship proceedings by designating a successor trustee to serve during a period of incapacity. You can serve as co-trustee along with a trusted person or financial institution if you choose. If you become incapacitated, the co-trustee you have designated will take over the management of your assets held in the trust. Remember though, this is only effective if your property is properly titled in the name of your Living Trust.
This article is a service of the Law Office of Keoni Souza, LLC, an estate planning law firm in Honolulu, Hawaii. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by contacting our office today to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.
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