There are five legal documents every adult needs—each one signed, dated, notarized as necessary and kept in a safe place that someone else knows about and can retrieve on a moment’s notice.

1. Living Will. Also called an Advanced Directive, this states what you want to have happen with respect to extraordinary measures to keep you alive should you be terminal or permanently unconscious.

2. Healthcare Power of Attorney. If you are unable to make medical decisions yourself, you need to name someone else to make those decisions on your behalf. I highly recommend that you name up to five people in successive order to make sure there is somewhere there who is authorized to make these decisions for you.

3. Durable Power of Attorney. This is the document where you are designating one or more persons to handle the financial aspects of your life should you become  temporarily or permanently unable to do so because you are mentally or physically incapacitated. Simple things you might not think of but could become very problematic if you are unable to communicate like picking up your mail, filing your income tax return, filing for Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security; or any number of other issues pertaining to your finances.

4. Will. If you have minor children your Will is where you name guardians for those  children. Your Will also names your executor—the person who will oversee and protect your interests if your estate needs to go to probate. Your Will handles the assets you hold in your name alone, and names an Executor—the person who will handle the assets in your estate, upon your death.

5. Revocable Trust. This is the document that avoids the probate court process when someone becomes incapacitated or dies. This document does other things as well, but that is the most important.

Source: Maryhunt