This document explains how you would like your assets to be distributed upon your passing. This can also include information regarding your burial wishes, guardianship for your children as well as setting up a Trust for underage beneficiaries.

While spouses and family members are sometimes consulted when it comes to making medical decisions for someone, this is not always the case. Having a Health Care Power of Attorney will allow medical professionals to talk directly to someone you choose as if they were you, and let them make any important decisions regarding your wellbeing when you aren’t able to make those decisions yourself.

There are different types of Powers of Attorney, but the Durable Power of Attorney is an important one to have in that it survives your incapacitation. This allows individuals, of your choice, to make legal and financial decisions as if they were you, in accordance with your wishes.

These documents are generally done along with a Health Care Power of Attorney. While that document gives an individual the authority to make medical decisions for you, this document limits that authority for specific matters.

This document is sometimes confused with a DNR order. Unlike a DNR, a Living Will states that if you were to become comatose, or to be in a similar unconscious situation and showed no signs of improvement, that you would like all life prolonging measures to stop. This document is done so that this very hard choice is not placed onto a loved one.

There are many different reasons someone would need a trust. This can range from setting up a Special Needs Trust for someone who needs to have their assets held by another so as not to interfere with their benefits to a Revocable Living Trust that allows families to pass their assets quickly and easily to the intended beneficiaries.