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The COVID-19 (or coronavirus) pandemic has brought thoughts of mortality to the forefront of many people’s minds. According to a report from The Florida Bar, this has led a multitude of people to review and update their estate plans. With thousands of new coronavirus cases surfacing every day, Owenby Law, P.A. has also seen this surge of clients suddenly concerned over their estate. Since coronavirus is highly contagious and often has fatal consequences, it is advised to join in reviewing your estate plan and keeping all related documents in order to prepare for a worst-case scenario.
If you live in the state of Florida, there are a few estate planning documents that our attorneys recommend you update posthaste:
- Living Will: In this document, you will be able to outline your end-of-life care plans and express how you wish any health professionals to proceed if you are in a condition that renders you unable to vocalize your desires for medical care, such as if you are in a terminal condition, end-stage condition, or coma.
- Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or Designation of Health Care Surrogate: Both these documents allow you to appoint one or more persons to make important health decisions if you are unable to do so yourself. It is recommended to appoint multiple people, as the extremely infectious nature of COVID-19 may cause your closest loved ones to be similarly infected.
- Declaration of Preneed Guardian: Using this document, you will be able to appoint someone to act as your legal guardian in the event that you are incapacitated. For parents of minor children, they may appoint a guardian of their choosing to care for their children if they themselves are incapacitated or killed. For good measure, it is advisable to appoint an alternate guardian in case the primary guardian is unavailable or refuses their obligation.
While these may be the first documents to review, it is best to reassess the entirety of your estate plan. For instance, in the tragic case of an unexpected death due to COVID-19, a will and/or trust would be ideal to have so your loved ones know how to handle your estate. If these documents are up to date in terms of assets and any named beneficiaries, your loved ones will be able to focus on coping with their loss, rather than having to deal with any untied legal strings and, in some cases, probate.
Hire Experienced Legal Advisers
Owenby Law, P.A. lawyers provide each and every client with personalized legal services. Whether you are updating an existing estate plan or creating a new one, our legal team can help walk you through each step of the process to ensure your wishes are fully conveyed in your plan. It is no doubt that these are stressful times; let us help ease some of this stress by getting all your documents in order.
Contact Owenby Law, P.A. onlineor call us at (904) 770-3141 today to schedule a free initial consultation with our legal team.