Powers of Attorney

Elder Law Attorneys Explained: What They Do & How to Find One

February 11th, 2008 by Gilbert Guide

What They Do Elder law attorneys address various possibilities and scenarios, helping you to ascertain your wishes regarding both financial and health care choices. Your preferences are then spelled out in legal documents. In both cases, directives can outline how you wish your assets or person to be treated in the event that you are unable to communicate on your own behalf. A specific person can be appointed to make decisions on your behalf as well. Elder law attorneys also...Read the rest of this article »

Essential Legal Documents: What Are Advanced Directives, Living Wills and Powers of Attorney?

January 23rd, 2008 by Gilbert Guide

What Legal Documents Do I Need? There are three legal documents you need, at a minimum. It is in your best interests to appoint a health care proxy, someone who acts on your behalf in the event that you cannot make decisions for yourself due to medical incapacitation. You should also have a living will, which states the procedures you would want (or not want) performed in specific situations. Drafting a power of attorney for your financial affairs is also...Read the rest of this article »

What You Need to Know About Living Wills: Part 1

March 26th, 2007 by Ami Icanberry

I think the only living being who may not have yet heard of the Terri Schiavo case is my cat, Mildred. And, she’s no dummy. In all seriousness though, Schiavo’s case brought to the forefront our own thoughts on end of life, and the myriad moral, political and medical issues it affords. Owing in large part to an overly zealous media, we know the heart-wrenching story of the woman in her twenties who spent 15 years in a senior...Read the rest of this article »

What You Need to Know About Living Wills: Part 2

March 25th, 2007 by Ami Icanberry

(This is the second half in a two-part series. Read What You Need to Know About Living Wills: Part 1.) In continuing last week’s discussion on advance directives and the various types, I ran across an article published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, which illustrates the importance of these documents. In a recent survey put forth to families of some 1,500 people who died—71% of whom had advance directives—“families felt better about their communication with their...Read the rest of this article »

FAQs: Durable Power of Attorney: Part 1

February 7th, 2007 by Lori Deschene

I’ve been thinking recently about assets, particularly because mine are all shoes, and it occurred to me that one day I’ll have more—assets, that is—not shoes! And when I do, I’ll need someone to protect them. Assuming your property consists of more than a brimming closet, you may find it beneficial to spend a few days researching the topic. Or you can read the list of frequently asked questions below, to which I’ve researched the answers. The list is...Read the rest of this article »