Estate Planning
| Choosing a Healthcare Power of Attorney |
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| Like a durable power of attorney for financial decisions, a healthcare power of attorney permits you to name a medical proxy to make healthcare decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so for yourself. Similar to a living will, a healthcare power of attorney can specify what kinds of measures you want taken. You should be aware that states have different names for the same healthcare power of attorney, including medical directive, directive to physicians, declaration regarding health care, designation of health care surrogate, and patient advocate designation. More... |
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| Inheritance Without Planning Means No Person Is In Control |
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| When a person dies intestate (without making and leaving a will), each state provides a default plan (usually known as the statute of descent and distribution) under which his or her net estate is disposed. Under the default plan, no person is put in control of the disposition. The disposition must go according to the defaul plan. This article discusses the disadvantages of descent and distribution related to that inability to have a person put in control of the disposition. More... |
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| Inheritance Without Planning Means No Changing the Default Plan |
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| When a person dies intestate (without making and leaving a will), each state provides a default plan (usually known as the statute of descent and distribution) under which his or her net estate is disposed. When a person dies intestate, there is no changing the default plan. The default plan's sequences for determining who inherits and how much can not be changed. This article discusses the disadvantages of descent and distribution related to that inability to change who inherits and how much. More... |
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| Disposing Dead Bodies |
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| The dead bodies of human beings are not property. The dead bodies of human beings are not disposed of by a state's statute of descent and distribution. If a person does not leave directions in a will or other document for the disposition of his or her dead body, his or her dead body is usually disposed of as provided by local custom. More... |
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| Testamentary Intent |
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| In order to make a will, a person must intend to make a will. A person must have what is known as testamentary intent. The adjective 'testamentary' means related to a will, and is a derivative of the word 'testament'--the Latin word for will. The Latin phrase for testamentary intent is animus testandi, "the intention to make a testament." More... |
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