Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Making Decisions about Funeral Arrangements

Well so much for scheduling posts to go up every Tuesday, I guess my technical expertise are not as sharp as I thought.

Estate planning focuses on the legal and financial aspects of the distribution of the person's assets following their death. While our clients appreciate the peace of mind they get from this planning there are other issues related to death and dying which are equally important to consider, many of which are more personal and may have a greater impact on your loved ones. Today's blog addresses one of these very personal matters, issues surrounding making funeral arrangements.


Following the death of a loved one, an issue that often causes the most complications is the funeral arrangements. Many questions surround this matter, including what would the deceased want, who is responsible for paying for services, and who has the authority to make decisions? Each of these areas can be fraught with intra-family stress and strife, but as with many other issues addressed in this blog, planning can limit or eliminate many of those problems.

For many individuals, funeral planning begins long before they have any reason to believe death is imminent. This planning takes multiple forms, from a simple note stating their wishes to a detailed letter of instruction including their desire for burial or cremation, the selection of a church for services and hymns to be played, and even charitable organizations to which contributions can be made to honor the decedent in lieu of sending flowers. It is also becoming more common for individuals who want to preplan their funerals to work with a Funeral Director to plan and completely pay for their services in advance. The benefits of preplanning the funeral, as articulated by our clients, include ensuring that their wishes are honored, avoiding excessive spending on funeral services, and knowing that with the planning completed their family members will have more time to focus on the grieving process. While many benefits to preplanning your funeral exist, not everyone is comfortable doing so. Nonetheless, it is important to know who will be responsible for these decisions when the time comes to make them.

Recently the Michigan Legislature updated the law that governs who has authority to make funeral decisions to allow individuals to name a designated Funeral Representative. This individual, who may be named as part of a Will, Power of Attorney, or a separate writing signed in the presence either two witnesses or a notary, has legal priority to make decisions regarding final arrangements. Prior to this change, and in the absence of a designated Funeral Representative, surviving spouses have priority, followed by children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and finally siblings. This extended statutory plan of priority creates many conflicts, as various family members argue about funeral arrangements, each believing they know best for their loved ones. With the change in the law, an individual can appoint the person responsible for making decisions and inform that person of their wishes in advance. Regardless of who makes decisions, a frequent concern regarding funeral arrangements is the cost of those services and the responsibility for paying that cost.

The average cost of a traditional funeral in the United States is between $7,000 and $10,000, which is a substantial expense for anyone to bear unexpectedly. Some individuals choose to limit the effect of this cost on their loved ones through preplanning and prepaying for their funeral as we discussed above, others carry small life insurance policies to cover the expense, but many people do nothing at all. In these circumstances, loved ones must figure out how to pay for these costs in a short time. Under Michigan probate law, the costs of funeral and burial take priority over all other claims, except the costs and expenses of administering a decedent's estate. This means that whoever pays for these expenses is entitled to reimbursement for their costs before almost all other creditors. This priority however does little to clarify who will be responsible for these expenses. One potential solution to this uncertainty is executing a living trust. As we have discussed before, following the death of the trust Grantor, the successor Trustee can immediately take over the administration of the trust and in that capacity make distributions from the trust to pay for funeral expenses. In the absence of this planning however a relative or other individual must incur the substantial costs and await repayment during the probate process.

While problems and choices follow us even in death, it is possible to limit the problems that arise following your death by engaging in planning while you are alive. While this planning may initially be difficult to consider, the benefits to your loved ones in a very difficult time make that difficulty seem minute.

Alan and Matt

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Estate Planning and Dementia

We hope that everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend and is ready to return to work refreshed and prepared for a successful week. Today's blog addresses the difficult subject of preparing for a time when we are unable to make our own decisions due to the onset of disease. We know how difficult these times are for families and encourage our clients to consider these possibilities in their planning in order to limit the problems that will arise if they are unable to make decisions for themselves.

I read an article recently about Dementia Awareness Week in the United Kingdom which got me thinking about how people can prepare for the impact of dementia long before any signs of the condition are apparent. A diagnosis of dementia can be devastating to a person and their loved ones. The symptoms of dementia are progressive and its time frame is unknown, but can include memory loss, communication problems, and mood changes.
While dementia can be a horrible diagnosis, with proactive estate planning you can ensure that someone with dementia is protected and properly cared for making that challenging time a little easier. As a person becomes less able to handle their affairs, it becomes more important to put documents in place that will allow designated people to make legal and medical decisions on behalf of that person as they become medically incapable of handling their own affairs.
A Durable Power of Attorney is a good place to start. This document allows a person to name another person or persons to make legal decisions for them immediately or upon a determination of. This ensures that whether because a person no longer wants the burden of making decisions or because they are unable to make decisions for themselves, that those decisions will be made by a person of their choosing.
A Patient Advocate Designation is similar to a Durable Power of Attorney, in that it is used to name another person to make decisions when a person is unable to make them for themselves, but names people to make medical instead of legal decisions. This is especially important in cases of dementia because ensuring that your desires surrounding healthcare are followed even when you cannot articulate them for yourself is important.
Without these two documents, loved ones will not be able to readily make decisions for a person who becomes incapacitated, requiring the family members to turn to the Probate Court to have a Conservator and Guardian appointed to make medical and legal decisions. The process is costly, can take valuable time, and is a public process. By executing a Durable Power of Attorney and a Patient Advocate Designation, a person can avoid the probate process and provide for immediate decision-making and protection of the person with dementia.
Establishing a Living Trust (a revocable trust) can also protect a person with advancing dementia. If ownership of assets have been transferred to the Trust, the person named as successor trustee can use those assets to care for a person with dementia without any cost, delay or public scrutiny by the probate court. 
Additionally. while they are able, a person diagnosed with dementia may also want to consider an Ethical Will, which is a way to share one's values, life lessons, and hopes with family and friends. The Ethical Will does not transfer material wealth, but can be a statement of what truly matters in life and a hope that those who receive eventual inheritances will take to heart the values and hopes laid out in the document.
While all of these documents are especially pertinent for a person diagnosed with dementia, we should all consider implementing them in order to protect ourselves against an untimely incapacity.

Alan and Matt