Estate planning does indeed involve making preparations for the distribution of your material assets to your loved ones after you pass away. But when you look at the broader picture there is more to it than that. Of course it is very possible that there will be a period of time preceding your death when you’re not in the best of health and possibly incapable of making your own medical, financial, and personal decisions. If you want to be comprehensively prepared you need to plan for this eventuality, and if you are proactive about it you will gain a great deal of peace of mind.
The majority of people are going to need long-term care at some point in time, and with this in mind you may want to explore the specific facility that you would prefer to stay in if it did become necessary. There are a wide range of assisted-living facilities that offer different amenities at varying price points. If you were to explore your options in advance and identify the specific facility that you would prefer to reside in you are insuring your own comfort while taking this sensitive decision out of the hands of your loved ones.
The funeral is something you may also want to consider seriously. There are a lot of choices to be made, including whether you want to be buried or cremated. If you want to be buried a casket must be selected, and a burial plot must be identified and purchased. The exact nature of the memorial service, if there is in fact going to be one, is another matter to address. You can make these decisions in advance while you’re still alive and if you so choose you can even make arrangements with a funeral home of your choice.
By being proactive in this manner you maintain control of your own affairs “through the finish line,” as it were, and you circumvent any possible disagreements between family members while making things easier on them during a difficult time.
Mr. Nirenstein is licensed to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court. He is a member of the Connecticut and Hartford County Bar Associations, and the Estate and Probate, Elder Law, Business Law and Real Estate Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association.
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