With so much to think about, it’s easy to put incapacity planning on the back burner. This is even more so the case if you’re young and healthy. But that’s no reason to put it off. You need a comprehensive incapacity plan that can provide you and your family with peace of mind. Here are some of the most common questions associated with incapacity planning: Some of these are simple to answer, while others are much more advanced. You don’t have to tackle all of these questions right now, … [Read more...] about Common Questions Associated With Incapacity Planning
Could Your Hospital Kill You?
Could your hospital kill you by deciding that you are too sick and should have treatment withheld? Quite possibly. The Teri Schiavo story showed the importance of expressing your wishes and doing a Living Will, if that is your choice. The case of Hanford Pinette shows, at times a Living Will may conflict with the person you designate to make health care decisions for you. In many ways, Hanford Pinette was a very typical American. He was a Korean War veteran and a government engineer. When he … [Read more...] about Could Your Hospital Kill You?
Life is an Interesting Ride
Life is an interesting ride with many surprises. Who would have expected it to turn out the way it has? Forty years ago, as we walked to our local library, who would have thought that we could have more information available at our fingertips online than would fit in any library? Who would have guessed that these high school dropouts would have been so successful: Julie Andrews (actress / singer), Louis Armstrong (jazz musician), Kevin Bacon (actor), Lucille Ball (comedienne), … [Read more...] about Life is an Interesting Ride
Alzheimer’s Disease & Estate Planning
Estate planning is traditionally looked at as an exercise that involves preparing your assets for distribution to your loved ones at the time of your death. This is certainly part of the exercise but there's more to it, because the fact is that people usually go through a period of decline due to advanced age before actually passing away. So, estate planning is considered to be one important aspect of the broader specialty of elder law, and most estate planning attorneys also consider themselves … [Read more...] about Alzheimer’s Disease & Estate Planning
Anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s Death
March 31st, marks the anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death. More than any other story, Ms. Schiavo’s situation brought the need for living wills and other advance directives to the forefront of everyone’s attention. In the past year, an unprecedented number of people have explored their personal health care desires and made plans for their end-of-life wishes. However, despite the increased attention and understanding, most American still have not put their wishes down on … [Read more...] about Anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s Death
Putting Your Legal Life Back Together After Divorce
On your wedding day, everything seems like a dream. You have planned for it. You imagine the life you’ll build with your new spouse. You are filled with hope and expectation. Perhaps you even imagine growing old together and celebrating your golden anniversary surrounded by your children and grandchildren. However, nearly half of American marriages today are likely to end in divorce. In fact, only 5% of couples will ever make it to celebrate that golden, 50th anniversary together. If … [Read more...] about Putting Your Legal Life Back Together After Divorce
Preparing for the Unthinkable
Compliments of the McGee Law Firm, Attorney Brandon McGee Nobody thinks they will be in an auto accident, have a heart attack, have a stroke, or a myriad of other unexpected, sudden incidents. Those are events that happen to other, unfortunate people – not to us. Yet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, auto accidents injure over 2.5 million people in the United States each year. Over 42,000 of those accidents result in death. In addition, … [Read more...] about Preparing for the Unthinkable
What Does Your Incapacity Plan Look Like?
If you have an incapacity plan, it’s critical to understand what you’ve included and if there is any room for improvement. Conversely, if you don’t have an incapacity plan, now’s the time to take action. Neglecting to do so puts you at risk if you ever become incapacitated and unable to manage your own affairs. There are many important aspects of an incapacity plan, with these at the top of the list: Revocable living trust: With this, you can maintain control over the assets in the trust … [Read more...] about What Does Your Incapacity Plan Look Like?
What Successful People Do
Compliments of the McGee Law Firm, Attorney Brandon McGee Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and J.R. Simplot are names which have become synonymous with success. Bill Gates founded Microsoft Corporation and became a multi-billionaire at a very young age. Warren Buffet is known as the “Oracle of Omaha” and is known for his value-based approach to investing, which has turned his Berkshire Hathaway into a dominant force. J.R. Simplot pioneered the frozen french fry, was the provider for McDonald’s … [Read more...] about What Successful People Do
Preserve Your Legacy, Not Just Your Money
Compliments of the McGee Law Firm, Attorney Brandon McGee Death and incapacity are natural parts of the process of life. We are born; we grow up; we may experience incapacity; and we eventually pass away. Along the way, we develop our values and accumulate assets and experiences. Sure, when we die, we want to pass along our assets to our family while paying the least possible taxes, but, what is most important is passing along our lifetime of values and experiences. A new paradigm in … [Read more...] about Preserve Your Legacy, Not Just Your Money