b'5 DOCUMENTS EVERY PERSON SHOULD HAVE IN PLACEBy Colin Smith | ContributorAt the time of this writing, COVID-19 and its immediatealso specifies who you want to serve as your executor.A Will impacts are front and center in all of our lives.In thesemust be probated upon a persons deathmeaning, someone strange times, the virus is serving as the catalyst for peoplehas to take the Will to Court, ask the Will to be admitted, ensuring that their estate plans are complete.Callers typicallyand ask the Court to appoint an executor.An executor is a begin by asking how long it takes to draft a Will.Somewhereperson, appointed by a Court, who is responsible for creating in the conversation, I explain to the caller that there arean inventory of the deceased persons property, paying bills, other documents that are more important, since a Will onlyanddistributingtheremainderinaccordancewiththe applies after death, but there are a number of documents thatdecedents will.apply while a person is alive.In no particular order, a person should have these documents in place at a minimum. People who do not have a Will at the time of their death have a different type of probate, called intestate.In short, if you 1) MEDICAL POWER OF ATTORNEY dont have a Will, the State of Texas has one for you.Intestate This document specifies who can make medical decisions ifprobate is more complex and expensive than one where a someone isnt able to make them for themselves.They alsoWill is involved, and it also takes longer to complete.usually come along with a HIPAA release, which specifies who has access to medical records.Hospitals routinely ask5) DECLARATION OF GUARDIANfor these, and its always a good idea to have one in place.There are two types of declarations.One applies to minor In these strange times, at least one hospital has refused tochildren, whereby a parent can specify who they want to admit anyone to see the patient who was not also the personsserve as guardian of their minor children if they are unable medical attorney-in-fact. to do so.The other specifies who they want to serve as their own guardian if they need one.If someone does not 2) STATUTORY DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY haveaStatutoryDurableorMedicalPowerofAttorney, This document specifies who can make financial decisionsguardianshipmaybenecessarytomanagethepersons for you, among other things.In a pinch, they enable anaffairs.Guardianshipsarecomplexandexpensivecourt attorney-in-fact to access the principals bank account to payproceedings.their bills.3) ADVANCE DIRECTIVESometimesknownasalivingWill,adirectivespecifiesEditors Note:Colin Smith is a member of the State Bar of whether or not a person wants the plug pulled on them if theyTexas, Dallas Bar Association, and the Dallas Trial Lawyers are on life support and have no realistic hope of recovery. Association.Ifyouwishtoreachhimwithquestions orcomments,emailcolin@colinsmithlaw.comorcall 4) WILL 972.773.9095.For more information go toA Will specifies who gets your property when you die, and www.ColinSmithLaw.com.46GoodLifeFamilyMag.comAPRIL 2020'