AARP reports that Baby Boomers are the generation with the highest divorce rates. Divorce among older adults in the United States has been on the rise since 1990. By 2019, 36 percent of divorces involved people 50 and older.
One important new year’s resolution that needs to be kept is to visit your elder-law attorney, so that your estate plan is in order. This pandemic is not done with us yet, unfortunately. Obviously, we wish you well, but if you do become so sick that you are not able to communicate for yourself, it’s extremely important to prepare your papers in advance. By appointing a close relative, you will allow them to speak with your doctors about the treatment you want. In addition, you can choose someone you trust to pay your bills while you recover. If done properly, these papers – powers of attorney – are powerful, since they have made sure that arrangements are in place before an emergency strikes.
The best idea is to talk, in advance, with the health-care person you appoint about the kind of treatment you would want and the treatment you might decline. If you or somebody else has access to the internet, look up “The Conversation Project.” That website is full of guidance. The founder says it’s all about “what matters to you, not what’s the matter with you.”
And if the worst happens, you will have organized your property and directed whom you want to get what when you pass. That will save your heirs a lot of time and money.
There’s just one thing about new year’s resolutions. They’re easy to make, but much harder to keep. Fully one-third have already failed by the time February rolls around.
This is too important for that to happen. Be resolved, and then follow through right away. Call us for an appointment now, to make sure you have the best and most-effective plan in place before you need it.
If you would like to discuss ways we can help, please contact our office at (352) 565-7737. Conversations are complimentary.
