Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the wildfires. The fires and smoke have hit so many families close to home. We know that many of you have even had to evacuate due to the heavy smoke in the area. 2020 has already proven to be one of the most difficult years to endure, both locally and on a national scale. With everything that is going on, a person may begin to wonder if something happened to them or their spouse, would they have the necessary documents in place to take care of their particular situation. Many people are concerned about making medical decisions for their loved ones who cannot make their own decisions, or having the choice of a guardian in place for their children if something were to happen to the parents.
Now more than ever it is becoming clear that natural disasters and pandemics can wreak havoc on our lives. Before this year, we may have had the tendency to think that these potentially devastating events could never happen to us. But now, we can see that, in the blink of an eye, our lives can change.
Government officials and other agencies such as the Red Cross tell us that we should have go-bags ready in the event of a natural disaster. Planning is essential before the disaster strikes. With estate planning, the same concept applies. To be most useful and protective, an estate plan should be prepared before it is actually needed. Once a person is in the hospital and unable to make decisions, or loses their cognitive ability, the ability to plan the individual's affairs is gone. Then you may be left to wonder what your loved one really wanted. And once a person is deceased, of course they can no longer tell others who they wanted their children's guardians to be, who they wanted to take care of their beloved pets, or even to whom they wanted their assets to go. Those choices need to be made before this happens.
At Schneider Rasche LLC our attorneys and staff are here to assist you in this deep time of need. Even though we all have to endure COVID-19, the wildfires, and the heavy smoke, you can make the needed choices now to keep our family safe later. We can help you memorialize your wishes and make sure they are legally enforceable. You can protect the security and financial stability of your family by creating an estate plan now. We are currently offering free estate planning appointments to discuss your current situation and advise you with respect to what we think would work best for you. If you would like to take advantage of this free appointment, please call us at (503) 241-1215 or email us at information@rbsllc.com. We wish you all the best during these critical times.
