Certain critical legal needs are essential. Over the last few days, many people have become concerned about how the spread of the coronavirus will affect them and their families, and  should ensure that they have appropriate documentation in place  in the event of catastrophe, including health care proxies, durable powers of attorney, wills, provisions for property distribution, pre-need guardianships.    Individuals who are serious about protecting themselves will need to understand how these processes work and what documents are necessary to address their critical needs.

We are open remotely to make sure people receive the legal services they need.  It is optimized to provide services remotely, providing no-contact, rapid turnaround of critical legal documents and legal help.  No physical contact is necessary, and it is working to provide urgent online execution.

There are three types of legal instruments that are most useful in planning for the near future during this crisis:

Health Care Proxy

A health care proxy is a document that appoints an agent to act on another person’s behalf concerning health care decisions if the person is not able to decide. These documents are most useful in situations where someone is very sick or incapacitated and cannot make decisions on their own.

Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney allows another designated person to make important decisions about how someone’s affairs will be handled if they become ill, travel far away, or are otherwise unavailable. The person who is given this authority on another person’s behalf is given whatever powers the giver designates, including, at the principal’s direction, the ability to handle financial affairs, execute documents, manage businesses, etc. In a situation where someone becomes seriously ill or is otherwise unavailable, this is essentially a way for a trusted designated person to manage critical matters, generally related to their money and property.

Wills and Trusts

By the use of wills and trusts, people are able to make arrangement for the distribution of their assets if they die While, during an emergency, it may be tempting to simply ask a lawyer to write out a will.