>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SO WE KNOW THE THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS FORCED ALL AMERICANS TO
RETHINK EVERYTHING THE WAY THEY
EAT OUT THE WAY THEY GREET ONE
ANOTHER NO ONE WANTS TO GET
SICK RIGHT. BUT THE REALITY IS
IS THAT WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE WHO
HAVE GOTTEN VERY SICK WITH
THIS VIRUS. AND AS A RESULT
THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT
MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN HAVING
NOW FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS
ABOUT THE WHAT IFS
AND PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS
AS WE HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS A
LOCAL ATTORNEY GETTING READY TO
INTRODUCE
YOU TO IS WHAT IF I AM HAVE TO
GO TO THE HOSPITAL WHAT IF I’M
ON A VENTILATOR
WHO MAKES DECISIONS
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MY CARE
ABOUT MY FINANCES ABOUT MY
ASSET SHOULD SOMETHING BAD
HAPPENED. I WANT TO BRING INTO
THIS CONVERSATION NOW, YES MADE
AT A MEETING SHE IS A
JACKSONVILLE BEACH ATTORNEY WHO
SPECIALIZES IN BAY AND
BASICALLY FAMILY ESTATE
PLANNING WILLS INTEREST SHE’S
JOINING US THIS MORNING.
THE EXAM. YES, THANK YOU FOR
BEING WITH US TO APPRECIATE IT.
SO
WE ARE HAVING MEETINGS SO LET’S
FIRST START WITH YOU THERE ARE
5 IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS REALLY
THAT
PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE
REGARDLESS OF COVID-19 JUST
IN GENERAL, PARTICULARLY YOU
KNOW IF THEY OWN A HOME THEY
HAVE MONEY IN A BANK ACCOUNT,
YOU KNOW THEY HAVE CHILDREN AND
EXTENDED FAMILY. WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE DOES GET SICK AND THE REALITY IS CANNED
MAKE DECISIONS FOR EXAMPLE
THERE ON A VENTILATOR WHAT
DOCUMENTS DO THEY NEED TO HAVE
IN PLACE.
IN PLACE. >> THE DOCUMENTS THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLAYS AND FOR
HEALTH CARE DECISIONS. THOSE
ARE CALLED ADVANCED
HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVES AND THE 2
MAIN DOCUMENTS ONE OF WHICH IS
CALLED A DESIGNATION THAT
HEALTHCARE SURROGATE AND THAT’S
THE DOCUMENT THAT IS USED TO
APPOINT THE PERSON THAT YOU
WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HEALTH CARE
DECISIONS. AND THE CASE THAT
YOU CANNOT DO SO
AND THE DOCUMENT THAT GOES
ALONG WITH THAT IS CALLED A
LIVING WILL NOT A LAST WILL BUT
A LIVING WILL
AND THAT’S THE BLUEPRINT SO
THAT YOUR HEALTHCARE SURROGATE
KNOWS WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WANT
DO YOU KNOW IS A VENTILATOR
ACCEPTABLE TO YOU HOW LONG DO
YOU WANT TO BE ON A BETTER
LEADER WITHOUT THOSE DOCUMENTS
IN PLACE. IT IS A GUESSING GAME DEC IT’S VERY CONFUSING FOR THE DOCTORS AND THE
MEDICAL STAFF.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND I KNOW
THAT BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN DOING
THIS A WHILE I KNOW THAT YOU’VE
EXPERIENCED SITUATIONS WHERE
LET’S SAY MY HUSBAND KNOWS WHAT
MY
WISHES ARE. BUT THE REALITY IS
THERE MAY BE MEMBERS OF MY
FAMILY, MY PARENTS OR EVEN MY
CHILDREN WHO MAY DISAGREE WITH
MY DECISION THAT I GAVE TO HIM
AND IT JUST LEADS TO THE SORT
OF VERY UNCOMFORTABLE THEN
CONVERSATIONS DOES IT NOT IF
IT’S NOT
WRITTEN DOWN.
>> IT ABSOLUTELY DOES AND THE
LAST THING THAT ANYONE WANTS
DURING SUCH AN UNCERTAIN TIME
THAT WE ARE FACING IS THAT YOU
KNOW FAMILY TURMOIL AND SO BY
HAVING
THESE DOCUMENTS AND IN PLACE
HAVING AND WRITING IN A LEGALLY
EFFECTUATE A DOCUMENT.
IT SAVES THE FAMILIES SO MEANT
SO MUCH TO POTENTIAL DRAMA.
AND TURMOIL AND AND STRESS
NOBODY NEEDS ADDED STRESS
GREAT NOW.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND WHAT
ABOUT MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT
FINANCES AND WHO SHOULD MAKE
THOSE DECISIONS
FOR YOU, LET’S SAY YOU ARE IN
THE HOSPITAL AND PAY YOUR
MEDICAL BILLS AS AN EXAMPLE OR
WORST CASE SCENARIO, SOMETHING
BAD HAPPENS. AND YOU
PASS AWAY AND YOU DON’T WANT
ANYTHING TO BE LEFT UP IN
LIMBO.
>> JENNIFER THE PROPER DOCUMENT
AND FOR FINANCIAL
DECISION-MAKING WHEN SOMEONE
IS ALIVE. IT’S CALLED A DURABLE
POWER OF ATTORNEY AND IN THAT
DOCUMENT
YOU CHOOSE WHO WOULD BE THAT
YOU KNOW WE ARE CLEAR CHOICES
TO MAKE FINANCIAL DECISIONS ON
YOUR BEHALF IT COULD BE YOUR SPOUSE IT COULD BE YOUR SON YOUR DAUGHTER, A
CLOSE FRIEND. HOWEVER THAT
DOCUMENT IS ONLY VALID WHEN
YOU’RE LIVE. SO IF YOU WERE TO
PASS AWAY THERE HAS TO BE
ANOTHER LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT
SORT OF
TAKES OVER AND THAT DOCUMENT
THE DOCUMENT THAT WE REALLY
TRULY UTILIZED POINT OFTEN HERE
IN FLORIDA IS CALLED A
LIVING TRUST. THE PROBLEM WITH
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
WHICH IS THE MOST COMMON A
STATE PLANNING DOCUMENT THAT
EVERYBODY’S
HEARD ABOUT IT NEEDS TO GO
THROUGH THE COURT PROCESS KOCH
PROBATE BEFORE ITS BALANCE
WHEREAS WITH A LIVING TRUST IT
DOESN’T NEED TO GO THROUGH
PROBATE THAT WAY THE FAMILY CAN
TAKE
CARE OF DECISION-MAKING WITHOUT
FIRST HAVING TO GO THROUGH A
COURT PROCESS.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND FOR THOSE
PEOPLE NOT FAMILIAR WITH
PROBATE YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY IT’S
IF THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TOO TO
YOU KNOW VERIFY THAT LAST WILL
AND TESTAMENT BUT IT CAN BE
VERY TIME CONSUMING WHICH MEANS
THAT YOU
KNOW IT IN MONEY IN BANK
ACCOUNTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE
COULD BE LEFT IN LIMBO FOR
WEEKS MONTHS EVEN
LONGER CORRECT.
>> NUMBER YOU ARE SO CORRECT
UNDER FLORIDA LAW THERE
IS A THERE’S A 30 OR 90 DAY
PERIOD CALLED AFTER THE NOTICE
OF CREDITORS AND PUBLICATION HAS TO IN A NEWSPAPER. SO THIS IS PUBLIC RECORD AND THAT IS A
90 DAY DELAY IN AS FAR AS I’M
CONCERNED IS
TOO LONG TOO LONG FOR FAMILIES
TO HAVE TO
DEAL WITH.
>>LAUREN VERNO: YASMEEN AT THE
MENIE IT JOINS AS A
JACKSONVILLE BEACH ATTORNEY WHO