Many people in the Greensboro, North Carolina area have considered incapacity planning, but have not really taken the time to sit down with an estate planning lawyer to craft a plan. While the reluctance to craft an incapacity plan is often due to our refusal to accept the possibility that we might one day become incapacitated, we can help get over this hurdle by better understanding what these plans will do for our families. Regardless of whether you are single, married, or have children, an incapacity plan can help you and your family in many different ways.
Greensboro Incapacity Planning
Benefit One: Communication
When it comes to your family, your incapacitation will no doubt leave them in a state of emotional turmoil. Even if your incapacitation comes after a prolonged illness or battle with a medical condition, you will no longer be there to communicate your wishes. Your family will also be left to deal with the reality that they can no longer communicate with you.
If and when this happens, your family will need to be sure that they know what you want. Though your family will want to do what is in your best interests, that doesn’t necessarily give them the insight into your desires. Taking the time to create an incapacity plan will give you the ability to tell your family what those desires are. Not only can you tell them the kinds of medical choices you might need them to make on your behalf, but you can also appoint others who will be able to make decisions for you.
Not having an incapacity plan will mean that you leave it to your family members to make the important decisions for you. They might, for example, have to decide who should step in to begin managing your property on your behalf. These kinds of choices are often very hard to make, especially for people who are dealing with the tough emotional realities of your incapacitation.
Benefit 2: Conflict Avoidance
Another unfortunate reality of incapacity planning is that those who fail to make a plan often leave their families to fight. Should you become incapacitated and require others to make decisions on your behalf, there is a very real chance that your family will not be able to agree on what the best course of action is. While many of these agreements can be settled without causing harm to the family relationships, there is always the possibility of destructive conflicts arising.
Taking the time to create an incapacity plan is also something that can prevent destructive family disagreements from taking place. In the worst-case scenario, family members who cannot agree on what is in your best interest can end up fighting in a court of law.
