Some of the basic documents that every person needs include a will, a trust, and a living will. When you decide to create these documents might vary with your age, family status, and health status, but you will need them. Let’s make sure we understand what they are and what they do.
A will is a legal document that sets up a plan for when you are dead and where your assets should go, and who should care for your minor children, and where you should be buried. A living trust is a legal document designed to plan to what happens when you don’t die including your care and if you should become unable to make decisions on your own what decisions will be made for you. And the living trust continues with a plan for when you do die. You should also have a will for items that are not covered by your trust.
A living will is actually a legal health care document that is often called an advanced medical care directive. It says who will make decisions about your medical care when you can’t make them yourself. For example, do you want to be kept alive with machines or not? What kind of medicines or treatments will you accept or won’t accept? Perhaps you are opposed to receiving a blood transfusion.
Elder law attorney Martha Patterson offers a free consultation and $500 off any paid services when you contact her at her website www.elderlawmom.com.
