I am a relatively young and healthy adult. Why do you suggest dealing with my end-of-life decisions now?

We all hope to live long and healthy lives, and statistically speaking, most of us will. But accidents, surprises and diagnosis happen - unfortunately we all know someone who was taken unexpectedly or far too soon. Many of us also know someone who left behind a mess of paperwork, an outdated will, or no plans at all. We might also know a family split apart by a sudden end-of-life medical decision that they couldn’t agree on.

If you are a member of a family, your death would be shocking, heartbreaking, and probably a worst nightmare for your loved ones. What can make that nightmare even worse for those left behind is having to navigate medical decisions that will stick with their conscious, dig for your identification and documents, guess at your passwords, and decide what happens next to accounts, belongings, pets, etc. Not only is it responsible, as a parent or family member, to organize your wishes and documents, it is a gift to the heartbroken loved ones that you would leave behind.

If you have a home, child, or pet, the best time to create your advanced plans is now.

I did a last will, so aren’t I all set?

There is a lot more to advanced planning than legal wills, and legal wills need to be regularly updated with life changes (a move, additional children, divorce, etc.). Advanced directives should be in place for who would make your medical decisions if you cannot, and what you would like those medical decisions to be. Have you chosen a medical power of attorney and a backup in case your partner was in an accident with you? Have those documents been signed and witnessed? Do your loved ones know where to find your important documents (wills, birth certificates, deeds, insurance cards, etc.)?

Does one person in your family handle the finances, and if so, the other should have a simple money map outlining accounts, retirement, life insurance, etc. There’s also your digital estate - most of today’s world is set behind at least one password. Would your loved ones be able to access everything from email to banking to taxes? Do you have a preference on how you are buried? Do you have a plan for your pets? Would you like to leave ethical guidance behind for your children?

The more information you can provide now, the less your loved ones are left searching and guessing as they grieve. Avoid the scavenger hunt by doing your advanced planning early and communicating your decisions to those who’d need to know.

I am not comfortable sharing finances or medical information with you.

Good, you won’t need to.

I don’t have much. I don’t think I need a will.

If you own anything at all (car, home, pet) or have any assets (money in the bank, a 401k) having a last will will make life easier on your loved ones if you are gone.

How do these workshops / sessions work?

This will be a very practical process, where I will explain the 5-6 most important pieces of end-of-life plans that everyone should have in place. You’ll learn things like how Advance Directives become valid in your state and/or when you need to hire a lawyer to create your last will.

Together, we will outline plans for a physical and/or digital emergency binder that houses all of your most important documents, passwords and information, and plans to let your most important people know where to find them. I can answer questions specific to your situation, and support you in the discomfort of making decisions you may not yet want to think about.

You will leave feeling relief and peace of mind at having these decisions made and documented and perhaps more comfortable discussing end-of-life planning with others in your life.

Sessions can be scheduled in-person in the Greater Philadelphia area, or virtually from anywhere.