Understanding Your Personal Agency
Promise Law wants to encourage you to Engage Your Personal Agency! But what does that mean?
What does it mean to engage your personal agency?
Agency means the ability to take action.
I try not to drive during holidays, but I found myself on the road this weekend with all the other Memorial Day drivers. I watched some cars weave in and out of traffic, looking for a better lane. I watched some cars full of kids with parents who looked like they regretted their decision to be on the road. It reminded me that we have the right to make decisions about our lives, even those that others may consider foolish. We all have a constitutional right to do dumb things (like get ourselves stuck in traffic)! As long as we obey the law, no one can overrule our decisions about ourselves.
The Importance of Decision-Making Power
The flip side is that no one else can act on our behalf if you haven’t given them permission. If we become unable to make decisions for ourselves because of illness, injury, etc., and we haven’t designated someone to act on our behalf, then our loved ones or close friends may have to petition the courts for permission to do so. What a headache!
Preparing for the Unexpected Lessens the Burden on Your Loved Ones
It doesn’t have to be that way! Instead, we can prepare for times when that decision-making power may not lie with us, even if it’s temporary. We can lessen the burden on our family and friends while making sure our wishes and preferences are considered. We can Engage Our Agency.
How Promise Law Can Help You Engage Your Personal Agency
Promise Law can help you Engage Your Personal Agency in several ways:
- Execute a Durable General Power of Attorney so your chosen person can act on your behalf in financial and property matters, including caring for your pets, managing your utilities, paying your bills, and disputing credit card charges. By creating a Power of Attorney, you don’t lose any power to act on your own, and the person you choose as a helper promises to be loyal, fair, honest, and transparent when acting on your behalf.
- Execute an Advance Medical Directive so your chosen person has your permission to make medical decisions for you, seek second opinions, and consent to treatment when you can’t do it yourself. You get to take over once you can make your own medical decisions again.
- Execute a Burial Designation form (or better yet, make funeral, burial, or cremation arrangements in advance) so your chosen person has priority in selecting your final arrangements and service if you worry that family members may disagree.
- Execute a Will or Trust so that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and not someone else’s.
Taking the First Step with Promise Law
Ready to get started? We encourage you to watch our on-demand workshop. Not only will this better prepare you for creating an effective plan, but you will also receive a free consultation with one of our attorneys after watching the seminar. At that meeting, we will begin the planning process by reviewing your values, hopes, and goals and working collaboratively to draft a plan that helps you accomplish them.
Don’t know where to start? The easiest first step is to attend an upcoming live or in-person workshop. Our workshops are an excellent way for you to get to know us. It’s essential that you feel comfortable with whoever helps to create your estate plan. You will be talking through sensitive topics, so it’s crucial you find someone you can trust and be 100% honest with.
Reviewing and Updating Your Estate Plan
Already have a plan but it’s been more than five years? Or has your situation changed, and you know you need an update? Contact Promise Law for a review appointment so you can decide whether it’s time to adjust your plans.
Remember to Engage Your Agency!
