Establishing Power Of Attorney For Health Care And Finances
When people think about estate planning, many people think about what will happen after they have passed away. However, it is important to do some planning for your own care later in life. If you become incapacitated, an advance health care directive explains your medical wishes and empowers another person to make decisions about the health care you will receive. Another document that goes hand-in-hand with an advance health care directive is a durable power of attorney for finances, which empowers another person to handle your finances when you cannot.
At my firm — the Law Office of Barbara J. Dibble — I help clients throughout Fullerton and Orange County, California, use health care directives, durable powers of attorney for finance, and other estate planning tools to plan for their future. Contact me online or call 714-515-5126 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced Fullerton, California, health care directive lawyer.
Who Will Make Decisions If You Cannot?
At the end of your life, if you are unable to make choices for yourself, it is important to have a plan in place that appoints a person to make these decisions. I work closely with my clients to help them understand the powers that they can allocate to different people in their estate planning. An advance health care directive and durable power of attorney for finances can each give one or more people a great deal of authority to help manage your life and your health care when you cannot. I help clients choose appropriate people for these jobs, thinking about factors such as:
- What do you want to happen if you cannot make decisions about your health care or finances?
- When would you like to receive medical care and when would you decline that care?
- Who will handle your bank accounts, pay your bills, manage your property, and file your tax returns if you are incapacitated?
- If you pass away, what would you like to happen with your remains?
Most doctors look for some type of advance health care directive when people are admitted to the hospital. Preparing these documents before they are necessary can prevent great pain and stress for your loved ones later.
I Can Review Your Situation During A Free Consultation
Contact or call 714-515-5126 to schedule your free initial consultation with an experienced Orange County attorney and take control of your end-of-life decisions by creating a durable power of attorney.