Death is one subject that many people would rather not discuss. I mean, planning their own death. That includes the preparation of the documents that can make their final days more convenient for them and the people in their life.
I used to be like everyone else where the subject of dying was concerned. I had heard about the Last Will and Testament, however, the thought of executing one never became a priority. But my God had a plan for me. When I lost my full-time job, He made my former manager talk me into working part-time for her husband who happened to be a lawyer... an estate planning attorney! After dodging her part-time work offer for a year, I finally gave in after my job search produced no positive prospects at that time. Accepting the work was a wise decision because it made me realize the importance of planning our death.
For a few hours a day, I went to the attorney’s office and did the work I never planned on doing: helping to execute people’s dying wishes! It was probably the most depressing eight months of my work life. The genuine surprise for me was the realization that many folks out there wanted to do this thing. They would make appointments, come into the office, spend some time with my lawyer boss discussing the things they needed to unburden when it’s their time to go. That included who got their savings account, who should have the precious china collection, who inherited the pet dog… each and every material thing that meant the world to them when they are still alive. When they had agreed on the package terms (pricing and documents to be prepared), the lawyer and I would prepare the legal documents, the clients would come back for the document execution, most of them leaving the office looking quite relieved for having taken the time to prepare their end.
The basic package included the Last Will and Testament and Medical Power-of-Attorney. The former gave instructions on who gets what and stated other provisions; the last assigned the people in their life who were given the authority to make health care decisions on their medical situation.
A more comprehensive package included the Financial Power-of-Attorney, Living Will and Cremation Mandate. The Financial Power-of-Attorney appoints someone in the event that they become unconscious, comatose or incompetent to make or communicate responsible decisions concerning their financial affairs. The Living Will is a declaration of one’s wish concerning the termination of medical treatment and life support systems, appointing the decision-making responsibility to the people designated. It includes direction on how life-sustaining methods and equipment should be handled. To pull the plug or not is stipulated. The Cremation Mandate is a declaration of one’s wish to have the bodily remains cremated following death.
Discussing the specifics of our death can be most depressing, and the topic can bring a lot of sadness, but it needs to be done while we are still able to do so. All the documents mentioned above will alleviate the potential conflict caused by leaving this world unprepared. There had been clients who executed their documents prior to going into surgery the next day. I remember one who didn’t make it, and what a relief to her family members that she died with her paperwork in order!
If anyone doesn’t like the idea of getting an attorney involved due to financial reasons, estate planning kits are available on the Internet. Find the forms that are recognized in your state of residence. Complete the forms that are applicable in your case. Once the completed forms are notarized, provide copies to the appropriate people in your life. Make sure that an original copy of all the executed documents are in a safe place (a safety deposit box at the bank is one good location). Then you can relax confident that you have prepared yourself for the inevitable.
Do it for yourself, and if you have a spouse and children, you have a more pressing reason to get it done. The life insurance policy (if you have one) will take care of the financial aspect of death, but there is more to paying the bill. The decision as to whether or not it is worth pulling the plug, when such a life-ending predicament ever needs to be made, has to fall on someone’s shoulder, if and when you can’t make that decision for yourself.
As the boy scouts say, “Be prepared.” I don’t think that it applies only while we are healthy and breathing. Preparedness has a bigger significance when the end of the road is near.
I used to be like everyone else where the subject of dying was concerned. I had heard about the Last Will and Testament, however, the thought of executing one never became a priority. But my God had a plan for me. When I lost my full-time job, He made my former manager talk me into working part-time for her husband who happened to be a lawyer... an estate planning attorney! After dodging her part-time work offer for a year, I finally gave in after my job search produced no positive prospects at that time. Accepting the work was a wise decision because it made me realize the importance of planning our death.
For a few hours a day, I went to the attorney’s office and did the work I never planned on doing: helping to execute people’s dying wishes! It was probably the most depressing eight months of my work life. The genuine surprise for me was the realization that many folks out there wanted to do this thing. They would make appointments, come into the office, spend some time with my lawyer boss discussing the things they needed to unburden when it’s their time to go. That included who got their savings account, who should have the precious china collection, who inherited the pet dog… each and every material thing that meant the world to them when they are still alive. When they had agreed on the package terms (pricing and documents to be prepared), the lawyer and I would prepare the legal documents, the clients would come back for the document execution, most of them leaving the office looking quite relieved for having taken the time to prepare their end.
The basic package included the Last Will and Testament and Medical Power-of-Attorney. The former gave instructions on who gets what and stated other provisions; the last assigned the people in their life who were given the authority to make health care decisions on their medical situation.
A more comprehensive package included the Financial Power-of-Attorney, Living Will and Cremation Mandate. The Financial Power-of-Attorney appoints someone in the event that they become unconscious, comatose or incompetent to make or communicate responsible decisions concerning their financial affairs. The Living Will is a declaration of one’s wish concerning the termination of medical treatment and life support systems, appointing the decision-making responsibility to the people designated. It includes direction on how life-sustaining methods and equipment should be handled. To pull the plug or not is stipulated. The Cremation Mandate is a declaration of one’s wish to have the bodily remains cremated following death.
Discussing the specifics of our death can be most depressing, and the topic can bring a lot of sadness, but it needs to be done while we are still able to do so. All the documents mentioned above will alleviate the potential conflict caused by leaving this world unprepared. There had been clients who executed their documents prior to going into surgery the next day. I remember one who didn’t make it, and what a relief to her family members that she died with her paperwork in order!
If anyone doesn’t like the idea of getting an attorney involved due to financial reasons, estate planning kits are available on the Internet. Find the forms that are recognized in your state of residence. Complete the forms that are applicable in your case. Once the completed forms are notarized, provide copies to the appropriate people in your life. Make sure that an original copy of all the executed documents are in a safe place (a safety deposit box at the bank is one good location). Then you can relax confident that you have prepared yourself for the inevitable.
Do it for yourself, and if you have a spouse and children, you have a more pressing reason to get it done. The life insurance policy (if you have one) will take care of the financial aspect of death, but there is more to paying the bill. The decision as to whether or not it is worth pulling the plug, when such a life-ending predicament ever needs to be made, has to fall on someone’s shoulder, if and when you can’t make that decision for yourself.
As the boy scouts say, “Be prepared.” I don’t think that it applies only while we are healthy and breathing. Preparedness has a bigger significance when the end of the road is near.
