Will drafting, powers of attorney and representation agreements
Effective immediately: due to shortage of staff, Jillian Stockburger Notary Public is not drafting Wills , Powers of Attorney, or Representation Agreements.
Please also note, I will also not ‘notarize’ or witness a Will or Power of Attorney that I have not drafted. I will however witness the signature of the “Attorney” (agent) named in the Power of Attorney document. Please feel free to book a notarization appointment for Attorney witness signatures at https://calendly.com/jsnotary
Wills
A will is a powerful legal document to direct what happens to your property, who will be guardians for children, and who will be responsible for making this happen after you pass away. It is true that anyone can write their own will, but I have received years of dedicated education to draft wills that accomplish what you want with your property. Have you ever watched a YouTube video and convinced yourself that you could fix your own car, only to find the reality of it is much more complex and time consuming than you first anticipated? Drafting wills and other legal documents is like this, some things are money well spent to have a professional such as a Notary Public do them right.
Everyone’s situation is different I will be happy to spend time with you help to determine the best way to draft your important decisions into a valid legal document that is easy to understand for you, your executor, and beneficiaries. I will refer you to tax professionals or professionals with other areas of expertise when your circumstances warrant it. I will alert you if I feel the chosen distributions that may result in legal complications after you pass away. I will discuss with you what qualities a good executor or power or attorney will have to help you make this important decision.
Powers of Attorney
I also draft Powers of Attorney; a document that allows someone else that you trust to take care of your financial and legal matters if you become incapable of doing it yourself or are unavailable.
Representation Agreements and Advance Directives (the new ‘living wills’)
Representation agreements allow you to name who you want to make decisions about your health and personal care when you are no longer capable of making those decisions. A similar document has been referred to as a ‘living will’; however new legislation formalized the legal requirements of this type of document and it is now referred to as a representation agreement. A representation agreement can name a person to make heath and personal care decisions once you are considered incapable of making or expressing these decisions. Many circumstances can arise which affect a person’s ability to make these decisions and at any age, such as a car accident, stroke, or severe dementia. A representation agreement helps make sure the person you trust most is making decisions about your health care and personal care.
An advance directive is a good option when you do not wish to nominate a person to make decisions but would prefer to provide specific instructions directly to health care providers. This solution can be good in some circumstances where you know exactly the medical interventions you want and do not want, and are knowledgeable enough to provide those instructions to medical professionals. I am happy to discuss the difference between an advance directive and representation agreement and help you decide what is best for your situation.
Contact my office today if you have any questions about wills, representation agreements, or advance directives.