How To Protect Your Estate in the Event You Are In A Coma
If you are in a coma, you may have no control over what happens to your estate. You may be unconscious or unable to communicate. This can cause problems for your family because there is no way for you to tell them what you want done with your assets.
An estate planning lawyer from the Yee Law Group, P.C. can help you protect your assets when you cannot take care of them yourself. They can also help you avoid probate court by using trusts or other methods.
What Is Estate Planning?
Estate planning involves making arrangements for how your assets will be distributed when you die. An estate planning attorney can help you set up an estate plan that takes into account your wishes regarding who should receive what assets after death, what taxes may be due on those assets, and how they should be distributed among family members.
What Can Happen To Your Estate if You Are In A Coma?
If you are in a coma, the probate court will appoint a guardian who will take control of your affairs. A guardian can make decisions about how to use your money and property, such as selling your house or bank account and using the proceeds to pay off debts or provide for others.
If there is no guardian appointed by the court, anyone can apply for an appointment as a temporary conservator of the estate. This person will have the same powers as a guardian with respect to managing and controlling the estate assets until such time as a permanent conservator is appointed by the probate court.
In the event that you are in a coma and unable to communicate, your estate planning lawyer from the Yee Law Group, P.C. will be able to step in and manage your affairs.
In many cases, an area of law known as guardianship is used to protect the interests of persons who are unable to manage their own affairs due to illness or injury.
A guardian is usually appointed by a court when a person is determined to be incapacitated by reason of mental illness, mental retardation or physical incapacity. The guardian will have the authority to make medical decisions for the incapacitated person and manage his or her finances. Guardianship may also be used if someone is declared mentally incompetent by a judge.
An estate planning lawyer can help you prepare for this possibility by drafting documents that appoint a trusted friend or relative as guardian should something happen to you. You can also leave instructions regarding what you would like done with your property if this happens so there will be no confusion about what should happen next.
Without an advance healthcare directive in place, doctors may make their own decisions about your treatment without consulting with anyone else first. This could result in unnecessary medical procedures being performed on you against your wishes or against what your doctor believes is best for you at the time. An estate planning lawyer from the Yee Law Group, P.C. can help you create an advanced healthcare directive so that there is clear communication between everyone involved when making these types of decisions about how to proceed with treatment options.
