Today is the day to think about who will make decisions for you should you not be able to make them your self. Too often people wait until its too late to decide who will look after them in a crisis. Decisions have to be made as to who will control your finances, property, and legal matters, during a time when your wishes can be known and made valid.

Without forethought or the proper planning no single individual would be vested with the power or legal authority to act on your behalf, meaning that until a court appoints a guardian on your behalf you are on your own.

When one becomes incapacitated without planning the only option available is for your loved ones to seek a court ordered guardian or conservatorship. Anyone can do this on your behalf, even if you never trusted that person to help you previously. This course of action requires invoking the court’s jurisdiction to rule on such matters and can often be unpredictable, costly, time-consuming, difficult, embarrassing, and invasive.

With proper estate planning the court’s involvement is completely unnecessary. Estate planning establishes your decisions about who will care for you in the future. It empowers you to elect trusted individuals, and entitles them to act on your behalf, if you cannot make these decisions yourself. The appointed individuals are required to adhere to your stated goals and objectives.

The three fairly distinct areas of “lifetime control” that estate planning addresses are: (1) control over financial, property, and legal matters; (2) control over the care and nurturing of your minor children and other dependants; and (3) control over your personal health care and medical matters.

Make these decisions today while you can. Have a plan in place which will take care of you and those you love and make your decisions regarding your life.