Creating a Living Will: Estate Planning Lessons with Jimi Hendrix

No one wants to talk about death. It’s uncomfortable, can be a little depressing and feels like a distraction from all of the other demands of your living world, yes? But planning a living will is necessary — and here’s why I think you should take a moment to consider it.

In today’s episode of Your Money Minute with Tracy Stewart, CPA, I want to talk about working with your estate attorney on a living will. A living will, simply put, is a directive for healthcare providers and your family to not put you on life support when you are unable to communicate these wishes in certain medical situations. If you wish to not be put on life support and kept alive artificially, this must be communicated clearly.

Think of it this way: If you don’t have a clearly documented living will, family members and medical professionals have no clue what your wishes are. They’re guessing… Assuming… Wondering… Working with your estate attorney, you can give direction for your desire in these situations. Yes, talking about end-of-life situations feels unpleasant — and it is. But think about how unpleasant the conversations could be for your family and loved ones if they were without a living will in a dire medical scenario…

My advice is to be clear on your wishes and work with your estate attorney to have them written down. If you don’t have an estate attorney, start doing a Google search or ask around. If you’re in the College Station or central Texas areas, I have recommendations for great estate attorneys to share with you — so shoot me a quick email at stewart@texasdivorcecpa.com.

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