Unexpected health changes make you realize how important it is to have all your affairs in order. Taking action now will protect your assets and ensure your wishes are honored. More than that, it will help your family avoid complications later during the Louisiana succession process.

Start by listing everything you own, including bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, investments, and personal items. Gather copies of any existing will you have, all trusts, and any beneficiary forms. 

Health changes often mean you need to update these quickly, while you still can, so doing this inventory now will prevent later confusion for your family if your condition worsens and you become unable to manage things yourself. It also presents you with a clear picture of what needs fixing.

You should create or update a durable power of attorney for your finances so someone you trust can pay bills, handle banking, and manage your property if you can’t. This document stays effective even after you lose capacity, which is  just what unexpected health changes can cause. Without it, your family might have to go to court for permission to act on your behalf, which just adds stress and delay at the worst possible time.

If you already have someone nominated to this job, and you’re facing a sudden change in health, take a moment to be certain this is still the person you want managing your affairs. 

Next, put your healthcare preferences in writing: appoint a healthcare power of attorney to make medical decisions for you and a living will stating what treatments you do or do not want if you’re terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state. 

Louisiana law provides specific forms for these, and these tools let you stay in control even when you can’t speak for yourself. Doctors and hospitals must follow them, which gives you peace of mind and reduces the potential for any family arguments over how best to help you.

A revocable living trust can hold some of your assets while you’re alive and then transfer them smoothly to the beneficiaries after your death, bypassing the probate process in most cases. If your health declines, the successor trustee you name to manage the trust can just step in when you become incapacitated or pass away, all without court involvement. 

This keeps things in your estate private and avoids the delays that can happen when your property has to go through the courts at your death. You can still change the trust or take assets out as long as you have capacity.

Unexpected health changes don’t have to leave your estate in limbo, and if you act now, you stay in control and your family has clarity. Contact the office of Walter D. White, A Professional Law Corporation, now in Shreveport, LA and get help to protect what matters most.