How to Get Your Estate Planng Done Remotely

Available for Interviews: Glenn Matecun.

Glenn R. Metecun, CELA, is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. Catching the early warning signs of dementia is crucial in helping to get the care your loved one needs.

Here, our estate planning attorney can discuss ways to address your estate planning needs remotely.

Talking Points from Glenn Matecun
How to Get Your Estate Plan Done Remotely:

• Estate planning is important, and getting your plan together has never been more critical than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• If you become incapacitated, the probate court will control your life—the problem is, most probate courts are closed right now or are not operating at anywhere near full-capacity.  So without a plan you are stuck in limbo.
• You need to have trusted people in place to assist with both financial matters and medical decisions if you are unable to make those decisions yourself.
• You CAN put together a basic estate plan remotely—different states have different rules, and different documents (for example, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Medical Directives) have varied requirements as far as signing, witnesses and notaries.
• An estate planning attorney can help you with an easy step-by-step strategy to get your estate plan completed while under the Coronavirus quarantine.
• Here are your actions steps:

1. 1. 1. Call an experienced estate planning attorney;
      2. He or she will provide you with an organizer/questionnaire to complete, which can be done remotely;
      3. Set-up a telephone conference or Zoom meeting with the attorney to review your goals and objectives—your plan can be designed during the call;
      4. The attorney will prepare your plan and then review it with you remotely (again, by way of Zoom meeting or similar); and
      5. Sign your plan—and, depending on state requirements, have it witnessed/notarized (requirements in different areas vary but there are plenty of creative options to get this done).