DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY:

A document that empowers the person that you designate ( known as an agent or attorney-in-fact) to make financial, administrative, and estate planning decisions on your behalf, if and when it is necessary in the future. The word DURABLE simply means that your designated agent continues to have the authority to act even after incapacity or incompetence. This document is a critical component of a plan to protect and preserve assets and is essential in avoiding a Guardianship proceeding.

HEALTH CARE PROXY:

A document that allows you to designate a trusted person, typically a family member, to make all health care decisions in the event you are not able to make such decisions yourself. Without a Health Care Proxy, your family does not have the legal right to speak for you regarding health care decisions. This document allows you to specify your desires with regard to not being kept alive by artificial life sustaining medical treatments. Although such desires can be placed on the Health Care Proxy, it is generally advised that a separate and distinct Living Will document be executed.

LIVING WILL:

A document which is a written expression of your wishes concerning prohibition or termination of life sustaining medical treatment when there is NO reasonable prospect of recovery from suffering from extreme physical or mental disability, terminal illness, persistent and permanent vegetative condition or brain death. Your Living Will clearly expresses that under the above circumstances you be allowed to die and that no medication, artificial means, or any extraordinary life sustaining medical treatment be used to prolong your life. In addition, you would generally state that if such treatment were being provided, that it be withdrawn. This core document can greatly alleviate the sense of uncertainty and guilt that caring family members have at a time when such critical decisions need to be made. Without a Living Will it becomes much more difficult to carry out your true desires.