It is impossible to plan for the future, but New Jersey residents know that there are certain things that they can do to be better prepared for what happens in the years ahead. One of the ways to do this is to have a thoughtful estate plan in place. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to estate planning, and the tools you need depend largely upon your individual situation and legal objectives.
One of the ways that you can protect your interests is by having certain protections in place to ensure you get the care you want in case of your incapacitation due to illness or injury. Either though a living will, health care power of attorney or both, you can better control what will happen to you.
Making difficult situations easier
No one wants to make difficult, potentially life-altering decisions on behalf of a loved one currently incapacitated. You can shield your loved ones from this type of stressful and complex situation simply by having certain documents included as part of your estate plan. This effort allows you to express your wishes and make what could be an incredibly difficult situation easier for your loved ones. Following are two of these documents:
- Health care power of attorney: This document allows a specific person to outline things not normally included in a living will, including making financial and legal decisions on your behalf in unexpected situations.
- Living will: A living will allows a person to outline his or her wishes regarding specific medical procedures and care he or she would like to receive, including being kept alive by artificial means. These documents can be very specific, or you can make yours more general in nature.
It is not pleasant to think about the kind of end-of-life care you would want or the type of care you prefer in case of incapacitation, but having these documents in place can offer both you and your family peace of mind.
Your complete estate plan
Everyone can benefit from the protections provided by a will, but you may find that you need to add additional tools in order to complete an estate plan that suits your individual needs. This may include drafting a health care power of attorney and a living will.
If you do not have an estate plan in place or believe you could benefit from additional protection, you have no time to lose in finding out the most appropriate course of action for you.