The number of young adults ages 18 to 34 with estate planning documents increased by 63% since 2020. That’s mainly because of the pandemic, says CBS News’ recent article entitled “How to create a well-rounded estate plan.”

Estate planning is more than just writing a will. A will is one part of a comprehensive estate plan, which involves multiple tools.

Some common inclusions are wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, trusts and more. Estate plans can involve both durable power of attorney for your finances and healthcare power of attorney for medical decisions, if you’re incapacitated.

For young adults, a significant issue beyond the distribution of family assets may be designating a health care proxy and power of attorney (POA).

This part of an estate plan addresses the question of who will make a health care decision on your behalf, if you are unable to do this yourself.

A POA solves the issue of who will make a business or financial decision on your behalf if you can’t.

These documents aren’t just for when you’re on life support. They may be implemented when you’re in the hospital and out of action for a while.

As far as medical directives, you should detail your treatment wishes as much as possible.

This is a very big task to place on someone, so the more detailed you can be about your wishes, the better it will be. And the easier it will for the person who’s your health care agent to carry out your wishes.

You should talk to the individual you’ve selected to be your agent to make certain that he or she is willing and able to assume this big job.

If you have a complicated situation, such as a blended family or you’re not in great standing with the rest of your family, you should definitely work with a qualified estate attorney in the state in which you reside.

One of the main goals of our law practice is to help families like your plan for safe, problem free, and successful transfer of assets to the next generation.  Call our office today to schedule a time for us to review your estate plan and identify the best strategies for you and your family to ensure your legacy of love and financial security.  Our office is located in Santa Ana, CA but we serve all of California including Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Newport Beach, and Anaheim.

For more information and articles on estate planning, probate, trust law, and business planning, please visit our website and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter.

Reference: CBS News (Aug. 11, 2021) “How to create a well-rounded estate plan”