Who do I Name?
An Explanation of the Roles of Trusted Helpers by Jacksonville Estate Planning Lawyers
When you design your estate plan with the help of Jacksonville estate planning lawyers, you will select several trusted helpers to help you during various times and in various capacities. If you’re like most people, you have questions and concerns about who to name in what role. Below we are providing an explanation of each role and adding a description of who would be the best fit. If you would like further explanation, please call our Jacksonville estate planning lawyers’ office at 904-264-3627, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We also see clients in Green Cove Springs.
Trustees of Your Revocable Living Trust
While you are alive and well, you serve as trustee of your revocable living trust. If you’re married or have a life partner, you likely want to include that person as a co-trustee.
You also need to appoint successor trustees who would be disability trustees to act on your behalf should be become disabled and settlement trustees to act on your behalf when you die.
Typically, your disability trustees and your settlement trustees are the same people. These trusted helpers are also named as agents under your financial power of attorney.
The ideal successor trustees care about you, have the highest of ethics, are organized and good record keepers, and are a good communicators.
If no one in your family or circle of friends fits the bill, you can name a professional trustee such as an estate planning attorney, CPA, or corporate fiduciary (bank or trust company.)
Financial Power of Attorney Agent
The trusted helpers named in your financial power of attorney are typically those named as successor trustees of your trust because the roles are so intertwined.
The ideal financial power of attorney agents care about you, have the highest of ethics, are organized and good record keepers, and are good communicators.
Medical Power of Attorney Agent
Your health care agent should be someone who cares about you and who can assertively communicate with doctors and other medical personnel.
Your health care agent gives or withholds consent to medical treatment if you are not able to do so yourself. So, common decisions would include hiring and firing of medical personnel such as doctors or personal care attendants and whether you try a new medicine, get transferred to a nursing home, or have an operation.
Guardians for Your Minor Children (Temporary and Permanent)
Guardians for your minor children raise your children if you are not able to do so yourself.
If you are unable to care for your children during your lifetime, guardians are appointed in a temporary guardianship legal document in the form of a power of attorney.
If you have died, permanent guardians are appointed in your will.
The ideal guardians love your children, will treat your children as their own, have extended family who will love and accept your children, share similar values with you, live near you, have lots of energy and good health to parent your children, can raise all of your children so they won’t be separated, and want to raise your children.
Our Jacksonville estate planning lawyers always include discussion of temporary guardians during the estate planning process. This is a trusted helper that is often overlooked by most attorneys.
First Responders
First responders are trusted neighbors and friends who can get to your children within approximately 15 minutes and stay with them until your named guardians arrive to take over.
This avoids your children being taken into protective custody (i.e. foster care.)
Our Jacksonville estate planning lawyers always include discussion of first responders during the estate planning process. This is a trusted helper that is often overlooked by most attorneys.
If you have questions about these estate planning trusted helpers, consult with Jacksonville estate planning lawyers, Arnold Law, 904-264-3627, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To better serve you, we have offices in Jacksonville and Green Cove Springs.
