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Serving Washington State  (253)838-3454

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Will your Power of Attorney ruin your retirement?

Did you know that an estate plan on its own isn’t enough to guarantee a successful retirement? Those legal documents—Wills and Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives—may give you a false sense of security, but they won’t prevent you from being forced into a nursing home if your health fails. They won’t keep you from losing assets to uncovered care costs, and they won’t stop you from being a burden on your family.

One estate planning document in particular leads to more problems for retirees than just about any other: the Power of Attorney.

Why is the traditional Power of Attorney so problematic?

The traditional Power of Attorney grants authority and assigns responsibility, but it doesn’t go far enough. It doesn’t come with any instructions, and that’s where the problems start.

A traditional Power of Attorney provides almost no guidance to your agents about what they should do with their authority. It says nothing about your goals and how you want your agents to meet them, how you want your life to be, or how you want your affairs managed. A traditional Power of Attorney is silent about the resources available to guide your agents as they attempt to run your life.

Will your agents do their best? They will certainly try. However, the actions they take might not align with your preferences.

The fact that 70% of Americans are unable to live out their last days in their own home is proof positive that traditional legal planning misses the mark. If you want a truly successful retirement, one where you don’t lose control of your life, your Power of Attorney needs to come with instructions that tell your agents exactly how you want things done when it’s time for them to step in.

Want to learn more about what’s involved in creating these detailed instructions for your Power of Attorney?

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A Washington Resident's Guide to Medicaid Long-Term Care Benefits

Learn the basic rules of Medicaid Long-Term Care in Washington from an expert who has helped thousands of people qualify for these life-saving benefits. Written by elder law attorney Aaron Paker, this easy-to-read book explains the rules in language everyone can understand. If you want straight talk about what benefits are available to pay for long-term care for an elderly loved one, this book is a must-read.

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Congratulations! You are about to begin the process of completing estate planning documents – for free.

Before you get started, you should know that though this service is being provided by Life Point Law, an estate planning firm, by using the free service you will not be creating an attorney-client relationship, and no attorney will review your work. Estate planning can be complicated and generally requires some degree of legal analysis to ensure you have the right provisions. Especially if you have been married more than once, you have a blended family, or you have considerable wealth. We encourage you to seek some guidance, or at the very least, have a legal professional review your work before you call it completed.

Help is available. If you’re interested in getting a second opinion on the legal documents you have created, Life Point Law offers a Peace of Mind review that can put your mind at ease knowing you have dotted all your I’s and crossed all your T’s. Let our skilled attorneys review the legal documents you have created to make sure they meet your goals.

You may also want to drop by our offices to get your documents executed (witnessed and notarized) so they are in full force and effect when they need to be used.

You will receive an email soon with information about how to schedule your Peace of Mind Consultation.

By clicking ‘Start Working on Your Free Estate Plan’ below, you will acknowledge your understanding that no attorney-client relationship exists between Life Point Law and yourself.