Estate Planning Is Not a Do-It-Yourself Project

By Terry Douglas, Maryland Elder Law Attorney

Douglas Law Office

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Estate Planning Is Not a Do-It-Yourself Project

We live in a do-it-yourself society. Many people believe they can eliminate the need for an attorney by using web-based services and computer software to create their own estate plans.

With internet and office supply forms, they mistakenly believe that that approach is sufficient. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

You make decisions every day. When to pay the bills, whether to get your will completed, apply for government benefits, go out for lunch, change the oil in your car, plan a vacation, get a physical, or whether or not to walk outdoors.

If you do not have a plan, the state has a plan for you. Unfortunately, you lose control and someone else (a judge) will make the decisions about your life and end of life.

Cindy is a 78-year-old widow. Her husband, Tom, was a military veteran and passed away over a year ago. Cindy lives alone now. She's becoming forgetful and hasn't been paying the bills. Her friends and neighbors have noticed that she hasn't been caring for herself lately. No one has seen her for the last three days.

Eventually, her adult daughter stopped by to visit and she found Cindy on the bathroom floor. She had fallen and couldn't call out for help. The last thing that Cindy ever wanted was to become a burden in her old age. What happens now? Who decides? Without a power of attorney and a health care directive, a guardianship could easily result in a loss of thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

Martha and John have been married for over 50 years. Recently, John had fallen and suffered an injury. He had to go to rehab. He never fully recovered. So, he had to go to a nursing home. Martha goes through her regular routine, cleaning the house and making her meals. She visits John every day and she takes him his favorite foods. Today, she received a bill for $6,800 for the first month in a nursing home. She started to cry. She doesn't know how to pay for John's care, let alone maintain her own sense of living. What would it be worth to you if an attorney can help you keep your house, most of your assets, and with proper planning tools, have the government pay the nursing home bill?

Seventy percent of people age 65 and over will require long-term care assistance. One in three elderly American's fall every year, some are fatal, and some lead to long-term care needs.

Nationally, an estimated 5.4 million people have Alzheimer's, including 800,000 who live alone. There are 86,000 Marylanders with Alzheimer's.

If something happens to you, does your family know what to do?

Do you know where to get legal help for your life planning questions?

I urge you to have a conversation with an estate planning attorney for peace of mind.