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Three Documents You Must Have to Protect Your Family During the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond

By: Melody B. Lynch & Brian Lawrence

Naturally, COVID-19 has led to a large degree of uncertainty, which emphasizes the importance of having your estate plan in place – or establishing one if you have not done so already. While it is impossible to prepare for every possible contingency, there are ways to give yourself some peace of mind.

Here are three essential legal documents to execute during this crisis to help protect you and your family going forward: read more

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The ABC’s of Estate Planning

By Julia L. Frey.    What are the “ABC’s” of estate planning?  Over the next few weeks we will discuss some simple but important concepts as we discuss the “ABCs” of estate planning.  Today we will discuss “A” and “B”.

A       Always be Prepared.   There is no such thing as being “too prepared”.  Don’t wait until you are getting ready to go on a trip or you get diagnosed with a significant medical issue to think about how to prepare for your lifetime legal needs and your family when you are no longer living.   And don’t ignore these important legal issues and documents, because you will leave a mess for your loved one’s when you are gone.

B    Basics.  The basic estate planning documents that you should consider for yourself and to provide for your family are a Will or Trust, a durable power of attorney, health care surrogate designation and living will.  Issues you need to consider is how will your children be raised if both parents are gone?  Who will raise him or her? And how will the child be provided for financially?  Is a child financially mature? When does a parent’s “care” end?  How is your spouse with financial matters? What happens if you get incapacitated?

 

 

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What happens to your emails, social media accounts, computer files, etc. when you die?

Just this week I spoke to a woman whose spouse had died unexpectedly and very young.  Her husband had done all of the finances on the computer with everything stored digitally (from his business accounts to the household bills and mortgage); and he had kept the passwords to himself.  In speaking with this individual, she had looked everywhere for a written summary of the passwords for the various accounts but could not find any written record.  She is starting to get past due notices for bills for which she has no information, and the bank accounts which were also in her husband’s name cannot be accessed until she is appointed personal representative of the estate of her late spouse.

Click play on the video below to hear one of my partners, Jon Gibbs, talk with Fox News about what happens to your digital assets after you die.

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