Estate Planning Questionnaire
THANK YOU for expressing an interest in an estate plan. Enclosed is an estate planning questionnaire. Once we have received the completed questionnaire, the firm will be in a better position to recommend the estate planning documents which we believe would be beneficial to your needs.
The single most important item in estate planning is accurate and complete information. An estate plan can only be as good as the information upon which it is based. This includes both personal and financial information. To this end, we ask you to please complete the confidential questionnaire on the following pages and return it to our office at least 5 days prior to your appointment.
If you cannot provide all the requested information, do not put off your appointment, it is better to begin the process and complete gathering the information along the way.
Please be sure all names are written clearly and spelled correctly, and please call our office with questions regarding the questionnaire as they may arise.
The attorneys at Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler, look forward to assisting you with your Estate Planning needs. Thank you for allowing us to serve you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your attorney at (609) 409-3500.
Thank You,
Alex M. Hilsen, Esq.
Sussan, Greenwald & Wesler
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ADVANCE DIRECTIVE
What is an Advance Directive? An advance directive is a legal document that can help ensure your preferences for various medical treatments are followed if you become unable to make your own healthcare decisions. Your advance directive only goes into effect if your physician has evaluated you and determined that you are unable to understand your diagnosis, treatment options or the possible benefits and harms of the treatment options.
PROXY DIRECTIVE (Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare)
A proxy directive is a document you use to appoint a person to make healthcare decisions for you in the event you become unable to make them yourself. This document goes into effect whether your inability to make healthcare decisions is temporary because of an accident or permanent because of a disease. The person that you appoint is known as your “healthcare representative” and they are responsible for making the same decisions you would have made under the circumstances. If they are unable to determine what you would want in a specific situation they are to base their decision on what they think is in your best interest.
INSTRUCTION DIRECTIVE (Living Will)
An instruction directive is a document you use to tell your physician and family about the kinds of situations you would want or not want to have life-sustaining treatment in the event you are unable to make your own healthcare decisions. You can also include a description of your beliefs, values, and general care and treatment preferences. This will guide your physician and family when they have to make healthcare decisions for you in situations not specifically covered by your advance directive.
We will discuss all of these documents during your appointment.