Common estate planning documents (Part Two)

Advance Health Care Directive

Also known as a medical power of attorney, this category of power of attorney is designed to enable your agent to make medically-related decisions for you when you are unable to do so for yourself. By necessity, these POAs must all be durable powers of attorney in order to be effective when needed.

In addition, advanced health care directives have also evolved to typically contain additional provisions and directions to your agent related to your right to withhold certain medical treatments in certain circumstances, end-of-life decisions (so-called living will provisions), burial arrangements and your preferences as to organ donation.

Final disposition instructions

This document will let your survivors know how you want your remains to be handled after you die, whether you want burial or cremation, what your wishes for a ceremony are, and whether you have already made free arrangements at a funeral home.

HIPAA. Final disposition instructions

This document will let your survivors know how you want your remains to be handled after you die, whether you want burial or cremation, what your wishes for a ceremony are, and whether you have already made free arrangements at a funeral home.

Transfer deed

A deed of trust is not evidence of ownership in real property, but rather the legal and recorded proof of an indebtedness to be secured by the real property. In this section we are not referring to deeds of trust. When you establish a living trust, in order for your real estate to be placed into the trust a transfer deed must be created and recorded for the transfer to be effective.

Diana Wade is a Legal Document Assistant. She can be reached at (661) 821-0494 or [email protected]. Diana is not an attorney, she can only provide self-help services at your specific direction. Kern County LDA #185, ex 4/11/23.