Dallas County Living Well Magazine January/February 2018 | Page 23

T
By Leu & Peirce, PLLC
he New Year is a time for fresh
starts and optimistic outlooks.
After seeing family over the
holidays and contemplating
the future, many will add
“getting affairs in order” to the New
Year’s resolution list. Including the
following necessary documents in
your estate plan will help ensure that
your affairs are in order, and will help
protect you and your loved ones, no
matter what the future holds:
✔ Durable Power of Attorney
✔ Medical Power of Attorney
✔ Directive to Physicians and Family or
Surrogates (Living Will) 
✔ Authorization to Release Medical
Information  (HIPAA Authorization)
✔ Declaration of Guardian 
✔ Last Will and Testament 
✔ Long-term Care Insurance
Many people think only of a Will when
contemplating the legal documents
necessary to protect their future.
However, there are more documents
and considerations involved in
developing a well-rounded estate
plan. This is particularly true for the
documents that protect you during your
lifetime. Although often overlooked,
a Durable Power of Attorney and a
Medical Power of Attorney are critical
parts of long-term care planning, since
they designate the person or persons
who will be acting for you in the event
you are unable to handle your own
financial and health care decisions.
Without these documents, no one,
not even your spouse, is legally
authorized to handle your finances or
make medical decisions for you.
Your estate planning documents are
extremely powerful and should be
executed after great contemplation.
The people you appoint to act on your
behalf as your agents should be those
you trust fully to handle your affairs
now, as well as when you cannot
handle them on yo