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Logan County’s population is getting older, as it does, residents may want to seek out a local estate planning lawyer from the Legal Advantage Group, especially if they are planning to travel!
Logan County’s population is getting older, and no matter how far we travel to try and forget it, aging is a reality none of us can escape from. Yet as we get older, especially as we retire, it becomes easier to contemplate the kinds of long trips outside the country that we have long dreamt of or put off.
However, leaving the country comes with some risks, and working out your itinerary is only the start of planning ahead before international travel. You also need to give some thought to your estate plan. Getting older always means thinking about contingencies and getting your affairs in order, and leaving the country for any kind of trip may be the perfect moment to put pen to paper with an estate planning attorney.
Working out of Edmond, just over the County line in Oklahoma County, estate planning attorney Dan Loeliger of the Legal Advantage Group is always ready to help Logan County couples prepare for their departure. Their advice and guidance will help you look ahead to several eventualities you might not have considered and help you enjoy your trip with far greater peace of mind.
It might sound dark to think about estate planning, usually reserved for deep conversations about death, before leaving on the trip of a lifetime, but as any Logan County estate planning lawyer can tell you, there is a lot more to think about than just the eventuality of incapacitation or death, though both are possibilities you should always consider when getting older.
Setting both aside for a moment, you might be able to see why, even if no one gets hurt, you might need to do some legal planning. In many countries, while you might have some access to your finances, you may not be able to take the same kind of actions you can at home; specific legal provisions taken ahead of time can empower someone else to be able to do so, or let your bank, for example, anticipate the complications.
While travel highlights the need for such safeguards, there is no doubt that if you are part of the Logan County population that is getting older (always better than the alternative!), you should have an estate plan in place. If you do not, it is time to seek out an estate planning attorney and get started, even if you are planning to stay in the country for the foreseeable future.
If you are planning to travel, however, here are some key guidelines for ensuring your estate plan is up to the additional challenges. They mostly assume you already have a basic or advanced estate plan in place. If you do not already have a will or trust and powers of attorney, you might want to do so first (and right away!)
Having an estate plan is good; having one that is years out of date and that does not match your current situation or wishes is much less good. Before leaving, go through your estate plan with an attorney to ensure any life changes that have occurred before your departure and any that are scheduled during your trip are fully taken into account in the final version of the documents you leave and/or take with you.
Your estate plan will do no one any good collecting dust in a drawer; for it to take effect, your relatives and loved ones who are in it should probably know about it. This is especially true for roles like financial powers of attorney or medical power of attorney. After all, these trusted decision-makers cannot do their job if they are not aware they have it and/or lack the evidence to prove it to the courts, banks or other relevant authorities.
Be sure to give copies to those who need them, and make extra to take with you before leaving the originals with your attorney.
Unless you have traveled a lot and have a background in law to boot, chances are you might not be fully aware of the legal complications of using your estate planning documents overseas. Having them reviewed by a local attorney with extensive experience is a vital step in ensuring you will be able to use them if needed. For example, if the succession laws in the county you are going to are vastly different than here, and documents require different signatures and other formalities to be accepted and applicable, you will want to take such precautions now rather than wait until it is too late to do so easily.
Legal Advantage Group | Estate planning for your travel, attorneys with a conscience.
Traveling might be a great way to escape the burdens of aging for a short while. But if those burdens catch up to you and you find yourself needing the very documents you put off making, you’ll wish you had done it now.
So why wait? Long before packing your backs, you can call (405) 449-5777 or set up an online consultation to discuss your upcoming trip or the state of your estate plan more generally.
The lawyers of the Legal Advantage Group will make sure everything is in order so that you can enjoy your time away from Logan County in peace.