Powers of Attorney: An Important Estate Planning Tool

Powers of attorney (“POAs”), perhaps the most valuable documents in your estate plan, are commonly overlooked or misunderstood. POAs allow you, the “Principal”, to give someone, your “Attorney-in-Fact”, the legal ability to act on your behalf when you are unavailable (i.e., traveling) or unable to do so (i.e., ill or incapacitated). Your Attorney-in-Fact should be… Continue reading →

Powers of attorney (“POAs”), perhaps the most valuable documents in your estate plan, are commonly overlooked or misunderstood.

POAs allow you, the “Principal”, to give someone, your “Attorney-in-Fact”, the legal ability to act on your behalf when you are unavailable (i.e., traveling) or unable to do so (i.e., ill or incapacitated). Your Attorney-in-Fact should be someone you trust to handle your affairs and respect your wishes.

POAs are often confused with wills but are different in that they only apply during your lifetime; whereas, a will applies when you die. Thus, POAs are like the lifetime counterpart to a will.

There are two kinds of POAs: (1) property and (2) healthcare. A property POA gives your Attorney-in-Fact the right to perform necessary tasks to manage your property, real and personal. A healthcare POA authorizes your Attorney-in-Fact to make decisions regarding hospitalization and long-term care when you are incapacitated.

One interesting aspect of the healthcare POA is that you can mandate a particular plan of care. For instance, you can authorize your Attorney-in-Fact to withhold all life-sustaining procedures, including nutrition and hydration, allowing you to die naturally, without delay. This can ensure your wishes will be respected and can give your family some peace of mind that they will not be left with the burden of making these difficult decisions.

In the absence of POAs, you risk having your affairs managed by a court-appointed guardian, or sending your family to court to obtain the authority to handle your affairs. This process can be time-consuming, slow and expensive, especially when compared to the minimal cost of havingPOAs drafted by an attorney. Think of the proverbial “ounce of prevention”.

Your estate plan should include tools not only for after your death, but also during your life. It is important to thoughtfully and responsibly prepare for the possibility of illness and incapacity and POAs are a simple, economical way to accomplish that.

Should you have a question or would like to discuss your estate plan, please contact Holly Marcum.

The HCG Diet Alert

The HCG diet is everywhere you look these days. From online advertising to your local chiropractor’s office, it is being marketed as a weight-loss wonder drug. HCG, or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone that women produce during pregnancy. It is now being used as a homeopathic weight loss supplement in the form of drops,… Continue reading →

The HCG diet is everywhere you look these days. From online advertising to your local chiropractor’s office, it is being marketed as a weight-loss wonder drug. HCG, or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone that women produce during pregnancy. It is now being used as a homeopathic weight loss supplement in the form of drops, pellets or sprays that are ingested or injected into the body. The entities that are promoting this hormone claim that it allows the body to metabolize fat and use it for energy. This along with a 500-calorie diet is said to produce significant weight loss results.

A quick Google search will lead to countless websites selling HCG, and any search for HCG side effects is filled with ads promoting the substance. Like many other diet fads, there is a lack of long-term research on side effects that can be caused by adding this hormone to your diet at such a high level.

The FDA has not approved HCG for weight loss, and is advising consumers to avoid all HCG weight loss products. Along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), they have issued letters to companies warning them that they are selling illegal homeopathic HCG weight-loss drugs that have not been approved by FDA, and that make unsupported claims. The FDA advises consumers who have purchased homeopathic HCG for weight loss to stop using it, throw it out, and stop following the dieting instructions.

If you or a loved are on an HCG diet and have experienced any illnesses while taking HCG, contact us at 1-800-782-8492.