Estates Made Simple
Welcome to the “Estates Made Simple” Podcast, hosted by Gordon VanderLeek, a licensed lawyer specializing in wills, estates and trusts, and Jenna Carvalho, an estate and trust consultant with over 10 years experience helping families secure their assets and plan for the future. We are a bi-weekly podcast that discusses the complicated and often confusing world of estate administration. Our goal is to provide you with the insight, knowledge and resources to help you navigate this complex process. Every episode we bring our unique perspective to provide listeners with unbiased information and practical tips to ensure success and mitigate risk. Even if you are not an executor, there will be topics of interest as you consider planning options for your own estate. Join us for helpful tips and important information on navigating estate administration so you can achieve peace of mind as an executor or administrator.
Estates Made Simple
Understanding Personal Directives in Estate Planning
Summary:
In this episode, we delve into the essential role of personal directives in estate planning. In Alberta, clients typically need to execute three critical documents: a will, a power of attorney for property, and a personal directive. While the will dictates what happens after death and the power of attorney manages financial matters during incapacitation, the personal directive focuses on healthcare decisions when individuals can no longer make those choices themselves.
Join us as we explore the responsibilities of an agent acting under a personal directive, important considerations for decision-making, and the dynamics of family relationships in this sensitive role.
Key points:
- A personal directive is a legal document that outlines an individual’s healthcare wishes when they can no longer make decisions for themselves.
- The necessity for effective communication between the agent under the personal directive and the attorney under the power of attorney.
- Power of Attorney for Property: Manages financial matters if a person becomes incapacitated.
- Different individuals may be appointed as agents for financial decisions and healthcare decisions.
- If an individual lacks close family or friends to appoint, they may consider the public guardian and trustee's office as a last resort.
- It is essential to ensure that personal directives are current and reflective of one’s wishes.
- It is essential to ensure that personal directives are current and reflective of one’s wishes.
Hosts:
Jenna Carvalho
The smartest way to choose an executor.
Guardian Estate Company
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Gordon VanderLeek
Give your family a legacy of protection - Wills, Estates and Trusts.
VanderLeek Law
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