Can I Execute Estate Planning during COVID-19?

Home » Blog » Can I Execute Estate Planning during COVID-19?
KS and MO Attorney Kyle E Krull

Written by Kyle Krull

Attorney & Counsellor at Law Kyle Krull is founder of Harvest Law KC, an Estate Planning Law firm located in Overland Park, KS. Estate Planning Attorney Kyle Krull has provided continuing education instruction to attorneys, accountants, and financial professionals at local, state, and national programs.

Get To Know Kyle!
POSTED ON: April 22, 2020

COVID-19 should not interfere with your estate planning. Your life feels like it is on hold. Maybe the days feel like months, like when the waves turn the minutes to hours. You cannot remember if it is Monday or Thursday. COVID-19 has interfered with work, events, and family gatherings. Everything. According to a recent Kiplinger […]

COVID-19 should not interfere with your estate planning.

Your life feels like it is on hold.

Maybe the days feel like months, like when the waves turn the minutes to hours.

You cannot remember if it is Monday or Thursday.

COVID-19 has interfered with work, events, and family gatherings.

Everything.

According to a recent Kiplinger article titled “How to Get Your Estate Plan Done While Under Coronavirus Quarantine,” COVID-19 does not need to stop your estate planning.

Estate planning during COVID-19 is not impossible.

You can still sign your estate planning documents in the midst of the COVID-20 pandemic.

Death and incapacity do not stop in the midst of a pandemic.

Death does not take a holiday.

Waiting for the end of COVID-19 is not an option.

If you do not have an estate plan in place, now is the time for you to take action.

Yes, you.

What do you need?

Last Will and Testament.

This allows you to designate who inherits your assets (not already designated to bypass probate), who executes your estate, and who rears your minor children.

Remember, a last will does not control assets designated to bypass probate through beneficiary designations, funded living trusts, or when held in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship.

Power of Attorney.

A power of attorney allows you to designate an agent to manage your financial affairs if you are incapacitated.

Advance Health Care Directive.

If you are incapacitated, you will not be able to make medical decisions or communicate them to your doctors.

With an advance health care directive in place as part of your estate planning, you can outline your wishes and appoint an individual you trust to make decisions on your behalf.

HIPAA Authorization.

If you are in a hospital, your doctors cannot share your medical information with others unless you grant permission.

This is especially important when it comes to the agent you have appointed to make health care decisions on your behalf.

For your estate plan to be legally valid, you will commonly need two witnesses and a notary.

Experienced estate planning attorneys will be able to create a plan to meet your needs and can help arrange for witnesses and a notary to meet COVID-19 social distancing standards.

Reference: Kiplinger (March 30, 2020) “How to Get Your Estate Plan Done While Under Coronavirus Quarantine”

Share This Post

Get All The Marketing Updates

Blog Silos

Recent Posts

Subscribe to our e-Newsletter and Weekly Blog Digest

Ready to schedule your consultation?

Get Started Now With Harvest Law KC

Get Started Now

REMEMBER: “The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.”
This statement is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

Harvest Law KC

5209 W 164th St
Overland Park, KS 66085

Get Directions
IMS - Estate Planning and Elder Law Practice Growth Advisors
Powered by
chevron-down