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Law Talk
ESTATE PLANNING Amid The Coronavirus
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BY LEONARD S. VILLAFRANCO, ESQ.
your loved ones from the fate of not being able to access your assets if you are hospitalized. First, have a worst-case scenario conversation with your family. It’s better to face the inevitable with those that we love, and be ready. Next, create an Inventory of “What Matters.” Start right now. It is a great resource to leave for your loved ones, so they know where to find everything that is important to you, and to them, if something should happen to you. Also update your Health Care Directive. This is extra important if you want your loved ones to avoid the tragic situation above. You absolutely must name Legal Guardians for our Kids. Think about what would happen to them right now if something were to happen to you, for both the long term and the future. Do NOT delay reviewing and updating these documents. inally, schedule an appointment with the law office of Villafranco & Garcia, PLLC at (772) 871-6441… Even if you already have a plan in place. We will review your current situation and bring you up to date to avoid heartache for those that you love.
ith the current pandemic occurring, people are coming face to face with their own mortality, and realizing they need to plan for the worst. This goes for all of us, no matter our age. As you face your mortality, take an opportunity to learn what we need to do for the people that you love. I recently heard a tragic story from a young woman who recently lost her fiancé to COVID-19. Because she was not listed on her fiancé’s health directive and HIPAA waiver, she could not get any information on his condition from the hospital. Eventually, someone told her that he wasn’t in ICU anymore. While she was relieved, when she hadn’t heard anything else, she called again. She eventually learned that her fiancé wasn’t in the ICU, he had passed away the day before, and no one had told her. No one expects things like this to happen, especially if you are healthy and making plans for your future. But sometimes the worst does happen, and if it does, you want the people you love With warm regards, to be able to grieve properly, without leaving them with a mess Leonard S. Villafranco, Esq. of fear and confusion. You want to be sure that certain people in your life are informed if you go to the hospital, and kept up to date on your condition. You’d also want to avoid a drawn-out court process to handle your estate after your death, or save
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