03/29/2020
Dear Family and Friends:
We hope that all of you are healthy and are finding ways to cope in this this trying time. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to continue providing legal services and advice to our clients. Recently we have seen an increase of requests from clients to assist them in estate planning matters including: Last Wills and Testaments, Health Care Proxy’s and Durable Powers of Attorney. For those of you who are not familiar with these concepts, we thought we would take this opportunity to briefly summarized these different legal documents for you.
Last Will and Testament
This is the most commonly understood legal document that someone prepares as part of their estate plan. A Will documents the way you would like your affairs handled after your death, including but not limited to: naming of the person you want to be responsible for your estate (executor/executrix), how your assets are distributed, how your funeral expenses are covered, how your outstanding obligations are satisfied. If you do not execute a Will before you pass, you lose the ability to direct how these matters will be addressed. This could lead, unfortunately, to disputes and other problems that most people wish to avoid.
Health Care Proxy
A Health Care Proxy is a legal document that allows another person of your choosing to act on your behalf in matters relating to your health and medical care, if you should be unable to make decisions for yourself, for instance, if you are unconscious, comatose or otherwise incapacitated. These decisions include whether you want to be resuscitated, or receive other life extending interventions (life-support, feeding tubes, etc.) It is important to have this document prepared naming a person you trust to make these critical decisions for you when you cannot.
Power of Attorney
Similarly, many clients want a trusted friend or family member to be able to act on their behalf to manage non-health related affairs. These affairs includes managing bank accounts, signing checks, paying bills, executing contracts, etc. The authority you give under a Power of Attorney can be tailored to your exact wishes, or can be broad, depending on what you want. Powers of Attorney can also be rescinded, or taken back at any time you wish.
Especially in times of crisis, we recommend to all of our clients that these documents are prepared. Many of our clients have expressed that these preparations have given them a sense of control over very uncertain times. To help you we have stream-lined this process so that the process can be essentially completed remotely. This has been aided greatly by the Governor’s Order allowing notarization of documents over video-conferencing services rather than in-person.
If you have any further questions, or would like begin the planning process for you or a loved one, please contact me via email at [email protected] or any of the number provided below. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy during this crisis.
Thank you,
Christopher M. Gioe, Esq.,
Piana & Gioe, LLC
1200 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 360
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Office: 631-232-3700
Fax: 631-232-3702 www.pianagioe.com
[email protected]
Long Island boutique litigation firm that provides expert legal representation for: criminal cases, personal injury lawsuits, business litigation, corporate formation, divorce and family law, landlord tenant, and traffic tickets.
