Were your holidays full of wonderful times spent with family? Were you reminded of how much you want to protect them now and in the future? Have you been thinking of your own health and even the legacy you would like to leave behind when you pass away? As the 2023 New Year begins, do you want to start strong with creating your Florida estate plan? We can help.
What are your plans to protect yourself and your family? Do you know how to begin? What questions or concerns do you have? Do you want to create a Florida estate plan for yourself and your family that is able to:
- Protect your ability to make your own health care decisions?
- Be sure your wishes are followed if you are in a persistent vegetative state?
- Choose and give legal authority to another trusted individual to pay your bills if you cannot?
- Provide care for your pets and support your chosen caregiver with financial resources.
- If you need long-term care, allow your family to protect your assets.
- Leave your assets to those you want to provide for at your passing.
- Create a legacy that can outlive you.
We know these questions and comments are a lot to think about but we are here to help you. In order for you to get started and finish this New Year’s resolution let us share a few tips and questions to get you started:
- Begin with identifying why you want to create an estate plan?
- Who should act for you in a crisis, is this person readily available?
- Do you want a different person for your health care decisions versus your financial choices?
- If you want to name your spouse, what would you do if your spouse was also not available?
- In fact, who should be second, or third, in command?
Once you have taken this critical step to create your Florida estate plan you can rest assured that you have provided peace for yourself and your family. In the future, we also recommend that you update your Florida estate plan periodically to ensure that your estate plan always reflects what you want, memorializes changes to the family structure if there are any, and gives the legal authority to your decision makers to act in a crisis.
We know this article may raise more questions than it answers. No matter where you are in life’s journey, we can help. The most important thing is to protect yourself and those you love. Whether you need to update your estate plan, are preparing for future long-term care needs, or have a loved one entering or already in a nursing home, we are ready to assist you. We have three convenient locations and are ready to serve the communities around Highlands and Polk County, Florida. Take your first step by contacting us today.
