If you were asked to sum up this past year in one word, what would it be? I know my choice:
Uncertainty.
COVID-19 delivered a whirlwind of unpredictability that we are still desperate to manage. With so many facing death and economic hardship, our need for control first expressed itself through the hunt and procurement of N95 masks, hand-sanitizer and endless rolls of toilet paper.
As a new vaccine looms on the horizon, many are once again in a state of ambivalence, not fully trusting its effects. It appears that, more than ever, uncertainty, along with fear, has become the new pandemic.
COVID-19 brought its own set of challenges yet also magnified issues that were present even before its arrival. As the need for Health Care Proxies (HCPs) and Power of Attorneys (POAs) escalated, many suddenly regretted that they hadn’t moved forward with their estate planning, While there are hospitals which still do not permit loved ones at a patient’s side, others who are allowed to be present cannot do so because the patient never executed these documents.
Here in our office, it’s unfortunate to discover situations where clients had come for a consultation and never followed up because they find the topic of wills, HCPs and POAs too difficult to discuss. In many cases, families are now spending thousands of dollars because their loved one hadn’t planned for the inevitable.
In this article, Steve Hartnett tells you and your loved ones how to leave a legacy for yourself and your generations to come.
Rochel Weinstein
Legal Assistant/Client Services Manager
Haas & Zaltz, LLP
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