Legal Planning for Incapacity

Family Caregiver Alliance. Practical overview of legal-planning documents caregivers often need to understand.

Key findings used in wiki

• Advance health care directives, living wills, and health care powers of attorney help document wishes and identify who can speak if the person cannot.
• Durable power of attorney for finances can avoid a later court process for financial authority.
• Wills and trusts address different estate and asset-management questions; state law and complexity affect when legal help is needed.
• Legal documents generally need to be completed while the person has decision-making capacity.
• Families should keep legal, financial, insurance, and medical records in a known location.
• Use this source for document-category orientation, not state-specific legal advice.