Many people aren’t considering vacationing anywhere but in their own hometown these days. But, as travel becomes more of an option over the Summer, remember having your will and advanced directives in place will give you peace of mind as you do plan for your trip.

I’ve discussed the importance of advanced directives in the past. I still believe even if you don’t feel like you need a will, you really should have a power of attorney, health care proxy and living will in place. Unthinkable things happen, especially in this unsettling time.  

If you are traveling without your minor children, your will can set forth who you want as the guardian of your children, if both parents should pass away. A handwritten will is legal and valid IF it is (a) executed properly and (b) witnessed properly. Obviously, we don’t recommend it be done this way, because if something isn’t done properly, the Court may not recognize your choice of guardian.  

If you recall, a few months ago, I discussed the importance of having a plan in place for your animal companions (or even your chickens if you have them….), if something happens to you (you are stuck in the hospital or nursing care facility) or you cannot return when you are supposed to. We can email you a sample plan for your animals for you to develop in case of an emergency (short or long-term!) Just shoot me an email and I will forward it to you.

This is also the time to put a power of attorney in place. The power of attorney can be as specific or as broad as you need. For instance, you are traveling and you would like your aunt/dad/sibling, etc. to have access to your bank account in case you cannot get to your funds. This is all they would have access to and it can be revoked at any time.

It’s All About Preparation. 

When I was young, I was a first-class Girl Scout and my mom was the troop leader. It makes sense that I went into a career all about preparation. Talk about full circle.

Speaking of rounding something out, I am coming to the end of my term as President of the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association. I really enjoyed this role and even though events to welcome our next President will look different, this is a time to celebrate!

Every time I see a school bus drive by or a teacher drop off a sign in a student’s yard, I am reminded of all the happy events happening, even if it’s not in an auditorium or stadium. 

The last few months have not been easy. This is a time to reach out and ask for support, no matter what that support looks like. Legal, mental health, financial. There are professionals out there with tools and resources to get you through this time. We are all resilient and we will come out of this with a lot of knowledge and new strategies for our businesses and our lives. 

We are here for you. Please reach out. If you are a former client, I’d love to know how you are doing. Send me a picture of your backyard or better yet, post it on the Sugarman Law PC Facebook page. Email, call, touch base anytime!

We are back in the office and are following all CDC guidelines, so if you need to come in, please do. We are still offering Zoom meetings as necessary, but closings are now being done in-person. It’s exciting to get back to work and be in the same room with my clients again, even if it’s 6 feet apart with a mask on.