Patient Advocate Designation

This is a legal document by which you appoint another trusted individual or individuals to make decisions regarding your care, custody, and medical treatment during any period in which you are unable to make those decisions yourself, due to your mental or physical condition. The Patient Advocate Designations dovetails with the Durable Power of Attorney in the event you are incapacitated. The former allows another to make various decisions regarding your medical care, and the latter allows the same or another individual or individuals to make decisions regarding your financial affairs.

It is important to note that not all of your property will necessarily be disposed of through a will or trust. Many people have property that is transferred upon death through a beneficiary designation (for example, many retirement assets), or through rights of survivorship (for example, some real estate). It is important to coordinate these types of asset into your overall estate plan, to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

The probate process is a legal process by which the probate court determines what is to be done with a deceased person's assets. Different procedures are followed depending on whether a person died with or without a will, and depending on the amount of assets in the person's name at the time of death. Our attorneys can also help you with issues that arise when a family member or friend passes away.