Plan Ahead

By Yulun Hung

It is very important for people to take action on estate planning ahead of time. A lot of people tries to avoid the topic until something bad happens when they end up in the hospital. By then, it might already be too late. Even if they are still able to make their wills, the legal system of United States might prevent you from doing so!

For example, if a person is send to a nursing home and has symptoms of dementia from Alzheimer's, there is a law that states in order to sign legal documents, one must be able to think clearly and understand the nature of his or her actions. To have the mental capacity to sign a will, one must know simple things such as the who, what, and where.

If a person is not qualified to sign his or her will, a family member, relative, close friend, the attending doctor, or a court appointed guardian may be asked to make the decision on your behalf! Most people will probably not want someone else make such an important decision for them, so planning ahead is a very smart move. It will give the person a peace of mind to know that your wishes will be carried out.

Sources:
http://www.url.biz/Articles/Article-3498.html
http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20090405/NEWS01/904050317
http://wiserwomen.blogspot.com/2008/02/estate-planning.html