Health Care Directives, Funerals and Personal Matters

As you probably know, Wills and Trusts are the vehicles to care for your loved ones after your death. You also need to think about caring for yourself as your life draws to its close. Consider this carefully: do you really want to attend to stressful personal matters if you are seriously incapacitated in the hospital? Will you even be able to think clearly?

Here is a brief overview of these important topics. 

• Advance Directives: Preparing Yourself For Incapacitation By using advance directives such as a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care, you can ensure that your desires about what medical care you want to receive or avoid are followed.
  
• Last Minute Tips For Reducing Your Estate: As you face the end of your life, you may need to make some last-minute decisions about your estate.
  
• Putting Ethics Into Your Will: You've used a "last will and testament" to pass on your assets, but how do you leave your loved ones your ethics? Your moral code?
  
• Planning Your Funeral: You can take an active hand in planning your send-off now, while you are still hale and hearty.
  
• Writing Your Obituary: It might sound morbid, but because no one knows your life as intimately as you do, you might want to take an hour or so to write your own obituary.