A Homerun in Estate Planning

When it’s the bottom of the ninth and you’re looking to score a homerun with your estate plan, you want to make sure your bases are loaded.

Living Will on First:

A living will allows you to make your wishes known regarding artificial life support. A living will guarantees that your healthcare providers know what your wishes are in case you become incapacitated. This document is a great first base document because it allows you to let the people around you know some of your end-of-life decisions.

Health Care Power of Attorney on Second

It’s good to have one base covered, but the more bases you have covered, the better your chance for a homerun. Get second base covered with your health care power of attorney. This document can work with your living will. It lets you name someone to make health care decisions for you in the event you become incapacitated and are unable to do so.  These two documents get you closer to a home run.

Power of Attorney on Third

To make sure your bases are loaded, you want to also have a power of attorney. This document allows you to name someone to make a broad range of decisions for you if you are unable to do so, including financial decisions. This document gets you close to that home run everyone wants.

Score a homerun with a Will

Your bases are loaded with your living will, health care power of attorney, and power of attorney. The final document you need to score a homerun is your Will. This document details how you want your property and assets divided up among your heirs and streamlines the probate process for your executor. It’s the big hitter of estate plan documents and can guarantee you a homerun when combined with other documents.

No baseball team is complete without a coach to bring out the best in the players. If you need an estate planning coach, come visit Hopler & Wilms, Durham estate planning attorneys. We can get you that homerun to help you win the game in the final inning.