When incapacitation keeps people from being able to fully care for themselves, someone must take over those duties. An estate planning document called a durable power of attorney allows people to authorize someone to make decisions and act on their behalf. If there is...
3 tips for picking your children’s guardian
It is hard to think about not caring for your children if something happened to you. But naming a guardian is one of the most important parts of the estate planning process if you have minor children. According to a survey conducted by Caring.com, only 4 out of every...
Should you agree to be a guardian for someone?
If you have close family or friends with children, they may ask you to be a guardian. In your role as a guardian, you will undertake the responsibilities of caring for the children named in the guardianship and providing them with a stable and loving home. While...
Named a guardian of the property – Now what?
Due to age, illness or other factors, you may take on the management of the money and property of a loved one who is unable to make financial decisions for themselves. To gain the legal authority to provide this type of assistance to your family member, you may seek...
What constitutes as abuse of power of attorney?
A power of attorney is supposed to be a trusted individual whom a testator appoints to carry out his or her wishes in the event of death or incapacity. This designation gives a person the power to open and close bank accounts, conduct financial transactions, make...
You can avoid a guardianship with other estate planning documents
The average age of the population across the country, including here in Palm Beach, is on the rise. People are living longer due to advances in the medical field, which many would agree is a good thing. However, with this comes the possibility of spending the last...
Protecting yourself as a guardian often means keeping everything
When a Palm Beach resident realizes that a loved one may no longer be able to make decisions for him or herself, that person may step up to help. From the moment he or she does that, it may be a good idea to begin creating a paper trail. Once an individual officially...
What powers may the court grant in a guardianship
When Palm Beach residents reach the point where they believe a family member can no longer act on his or her own behalf, they may begin to explore the alternatives. If the incapacitated individual does not have powers of attorney in place, it may be necessary to seek...
What you may need to know about guardianship
When you discover that an aging parent may no longer be able to care for him or herself, you may begin looking for a way to help. Someone may have mentioned to you that you could seek a guardianship, but you are not sure what that entails. Before heading to a Palm...
