“Powers of attorney are for old people.” “I don’t need a Will, I don’t own anything!” Truth be told, signing a basic set of ‘estate plan documents” at age 18 can prevent expensive legal problems later. It’s like fire insurance — you get it, but hope you don’t need to use it. I have been in court on so many occasions when an expensive guardianship proceeding was in progress because a young person had had a traumatic medical catastrophe or accident or brain injury but was over 18, had never signed a financial or medical power of attorney, and no one could lawfully make decisions for them. Lawsuits couldn’t be filed or defended; settlements couldn’t be handled; bank accounts couldn’t be accessed; checks couldn’t be written; medical decisions were held up; bills couldn’t be paid.
What if there is no Last Will and testament? There, too, a person needs a Will so that someone can be appointed as Executor. It could happen that after a death, a lawsuit needs to be filed or other legal problems need to be straightened out. The Will designates the Executor, along with specifying who will receive the assets later. If there is no Will and no Executor, someone must apply at the County Surrogate for appointment as administrator, and others may be equally entitled to that appointment. This can cause substantial delays and costs to the estate.
As my children turned eighteen, they signed their basic estate plan. We called it insurance. As your children are becoming adults, consider helping them to make these arrangements also. The result can be peace of mind for everyone involved.
Call us for life cycle planning for young adults ……… 732-382-6070