Shinn the Writer

I’ve not really brought this up here, but I’ve been trying to clean up my affairs to make my departure from planet Earth as uncomplicated as possible. I’ve been calling it “End of Life Planning” and it should have been done years ago. Don’t be too alarmed (or joyful depending on how you may feel about me) I’m not going to my final reward any time soon. At least that I know of.

And that’s where planning comes in. There are three basic documents that people should have in place long about age 55. Okay, I’m a bit late, but should be set before I become late. As in “the late John Shinnick”.

It all started nearly a decade ago when my primary physician asked if I had an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD). I’d never heard of such a thing, so she let me in on how to let the world know that I didn’t really want medical science to keep me alive past my time at great expense to society and great pain to me. I knew what I wanted, but had no idea who to get to give the order to pull the plug when it would be time. 

About a year ago, after spinning my wheels, I had three volunteers in whose judgement, intelligence, temperament, and availability I had the confidence to entrust the final decisions regarding my life. FYI, I’m on the hook for performing the same service for someone else.

But that’s really just one aspect. There are other documents needed to address the following issues:

• Who gets my leftover assets when I die? I need a will or trust.

• Who will make medical decisions for me if I am no longer able? I need a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Advance Directive (or DPAAHC).

• Who will handle my finances if I am no longer able? I need a Durable Power of Attorney for Asset Management (or DPAAM).

These jobs are much more extensive and time-consuming than making the decision pursuant to the AHCD, and I would ask none of the three who signed my existing document. Note that the DPAAHC is far more comprehensive than the AHCD in that it covers all medical decisions I can no longer handle.

Again, I know what I want (with a couple of minor exceptions) but again, the issue of who carries out the instructions was the main stumbling block. There are different titles depending on the document, but I will call the position “executor” for simplicity. I finally found a lawyer to draft the documents I needed, and he said that he could also fill the role of executor. Having no other known option, I agreed to this. And so, the documents were drafted. I got them back in reasonable time, but they were, in large part, incomprehensible to me. Was there something amiss or is it just the inherent legalese? I wanted to think the latter, but how to get a second opinion?