In addition to drafting Wills, we can also prepare Enduring Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Directives.
A Will is a document that outlines your wishes regarding the distribution of your assets, the guardianship of any minor children, your preferences for burial or cremation, the appointment of executors, and any other instructions for your estate upon your passing.
An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) allows you to nominate a person or persons to act on your behalf, with or without certain limitations. This can be particularly useful if you are unavailable during a significant event and need someone to manage your affairs (e.g., being overseas when property is being sold) or if you lose the capacity to handle your assets (e.g., due to an accident).
An Advance Health Directive (AHD) enables you to specify your medical treatment preferences should you lose capacity. For instance, you can instruct that a doctor does not resuscitate you or that you are not kept alive by life support. AHDs are not suitable for everyone as they provide very specific instructions. Some individuals prefer to delegate this decision-making power to their family. However, it is important to consider that your family may not fully understand your wishes or may find it difficult to make the decision you wanted. For example, they might struggle to instruct medical professionals to turn off life support. An AHD removes this burden from your loved ones by clearly directing what should occur.
You should also consider a General Power of Attorney in the instance where you may be physically incapable of attending to your own affairs but have not lost capacity.
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