• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About Our Firm
    • Career Opportunities
    • Meet Our Team
    • News and Events
    • Seniors Rock Radio
  • Estate Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Planning
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Family Farm Succession Planning
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • IRA Planning
      • Planning With An IRA
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning Services
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Elder Law Reports
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • Definitions
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • FREE Webinars
    • Estate Administration Legal Guide
    • Estate Planning Articles
      • Questions for Your Estate Planning Attorney Before Creating Your First Estate Plan
      • How to Create Your First Estate Plan in 2022
      • How to Choose a Guardian for Your Child
      • Address These Three Questions in Your First Estate Plan
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Adult Guardianship
      • Alzheimer’s Care
      • Custodial Accounts for Minors
      • Estate Planning
      • FAQs for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Elder Law
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Legacy Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicare and Social Security
      • Probate
      • Probate Avoidance
      • Irrevocable Trusts
      • Trust Administration
      • Trusts
      • Veterans’ Benefits
      • Wills
    • Newsletters
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
      • Trust Administration
    • Top Estate Planning Techniques
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Medicaid Planning
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions
    • Medicaid Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Estate Planning Services in Rochester, New York and the Finger Lakes Area

Connect With Us Today

(585) 374-5210
Law Pay Button
Attend a Free Webinar
Home » Advance Medical Directives » Why You Need to Name Back Ups in Your Estate Planning Documents

Why You Need to Name Back Ups in Your Estate Planning Documents

July 8, 2011Advance Medical Directives, Estate Planning, Incapacity Planning, Probate, Wills & Trusts

You need to name back up trusted helpers in your estate planning documents because as life rockets along, people and circumstances change.  For example, the trusted helper you named to raise your minor children may not be able to serve when the time comes.

Jan was a single mom.  She had a great relationship with her only sister, Becca.  So, when Jan had her two children, Elle and Eric, she named Becca as their guardian in her will.  Becca carefully considered the responsibilities and accepted.

Jan died of ovarian cancer about 7 years later.  Becca had died of the same disease just 2 years before, but Jan never updated her will and there was no back up guardian appointed.

If no one stepped forward to take Elle and Eric, they would be placed into foster care.  They would stay in foster care until they each aged out at 18.

If family members do step forward, there is likely to be a battle with life-long scars and anger.  And, the court will decide who will raise the children, not Jan.

Surely, this is not what Jan would have wanted for Elle and Eric.  It all could have been avoided if Jan would have named a back up guardian in her will.  When you consider how this lack of back up guardian will affect Elle and Eric for their lifetimes, you can see the vital importance of estate planning.  Estate planning is not just a pile of papers.

Be sure to name:

  • Back up guardians in your will
  • Back up executors in your will
  • Back up trustees in your trust
  • Back up agents under your health care power of attorney
  • Back up agents under your financial power of attorney

If you have any questions about how to choose back up trusted helpers, consult with a qualified estate planning attorney.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Clients notice Michael Robinson’s unique approach to his estate planning practice the minute they walk through his office doors.
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner - August 31, 2022
  • State Income Taxation of Social Security Benefits - August 24, 2022
  • Understanding Tax Apportionment Clauses - August 17, 2022

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Rochester estate planning attorneys
What Is a Living Will?
Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.
What Is a Living Will?
Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.
Brain Death, Advance Directives, and Medical Choices
Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.
Texas Pregnant Woman Cannot Be Withdrawn From Life-Sustaining Treatment
Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.
The Importance of Estate Planning for Singles
Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.
Estate Planning: Faith Matters

Primary Sidebar

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube

TESTIMONIALS

News & Events

Seniors Rock Radio Show Recording 5-1-21

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U7UkQbEGy-xY7XFAXvX9Qz7pKSVDVV3D/view?usp=drive_web   Author Recent Posts Michael Robinson, Estate Planning AttorneyClients notice Michael Robinson’s unique approach to his estate planning practice the minute they walk through his office doors. Latest posts by Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney (see all) How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner -... Read more →

Pittsford Office

1163 Pittsford-Victor Road, Suite 120 (Powder Mill Office Park)
Pittsford, NY 14534-3817
Phone: (585) 374-5210
Fax: (585) 485-0394

See Larger Map Get Directions

Map

mrobinson_sidbr_map

Footer

  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
robinson law logo

The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Attorney Advertisement


© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.