Who Can Make My Medical Decisions When I Do Not Have Family?

We are facing unusual times right now. While you know this as well as we do with the spread of the novel Covid-19 across our nation and the resulting pandemic, we also know that you have questions about what the future holds. You may not only be facing uncertainty when it comes to your job or business and your ability to return to routine activities outside the home, but you may also have concerns regarding what will happen should you contract the Coronavirus.

The latter holds especially true for those who do not have immediate family members. Knowing that you do not have a spouse or adult child who may step in to advocate for your health care needs should you be unable to speak for yourself can lead to sleepless nights and a sense of fear. We want you to know, however, that you can choose a health care advocate for these important decisions. Not only can you choose your own representative, you can give this person the legal authority to act for you in a crisis through your Florida estate planning. 

The key is to act early. Unfortunately, as with much of estate planning, you need to make these decisions while you have the capacity to do so. If you do not, then you are at risk of losing the opportunity to be represented the way you want to be and could potentially find yourself in the situation of a stranger making these decisions for you. Let us share more information on this critical issue right here.

1. You still can have representation. Even without immediate family members, you can have the representation you want. Through health care estate planning tools, such as a  health care surrogate, you may work with your experienced Florida estate planning attorney to set up the legal documents you need to give authority to the person of your choosing.

2. Pick someone you trust. Although this may go without saying, this is a key decision you need to make. You need someone who will act as you would act. Be sure to talk to the person you wish to nominate to act for you so he or she will know what you want in a health care crisis.

3. Including health care within your Florida estate planning is critical for you. Many people think estate planning only includes wills and trusts. Estate planning, however, is so much more. This is especially true for those who are single or do not have adult children. Discuss your lifetime needs, as well as plans for your passing, with your Florida estate planning attorney.

4. You also need an experienced legal advocate. For all of us, but especially for those of us who do not have immediate family, we need an experienced attorney on our side. You need to work with an attorney who understands these issues and can create the estate planning tools you need to ensure you are protected at all times.

We understand the challenges you are facing right now. There is so much uncertainty in the world surrounding the pandemic, and we do not want you to have concerns or be at risk. Do not wait to contact us now, or at any point in the future, to create the right Florida estate plan for you.