- By Jesson & Rains Associate Attorney, Danielle Nodar

The beginning of a new year lends itself to reflecting on the year that has passed and setting goals for the future. Come January, we are bombarded with information about New Year’s resolutions and implementing plans to help us transform our resolutions from lofty dreams to our reality.  From health goals relating to diet and fitness, financial goals such as saving for retirement or paying off longstanding debt, even decluttering our homes--there is no shortage of information about what we can do to improve our present and plan for our future.
 
However, one area of planning that many people seem to put off is creating an estate plan. Estate planning involves meeting with an attorney to discuss things like your assets and debts and how they could impact your estate plan; how you want your property distributed at your passing; who will administer the probate of your estate; who will handle your financial affairs and medical decisions if your become incapacitated and are no longer able to make those decisions on your own; and other important decisions that could make a lasting impact on your loved ones.
 
Even if you have an estate plan in place, you should meet with your estate planning attorney every three to five years to review any life changes or changes in the law.  Some reasons to update an estate plan are:
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• Births – When you have children, you should update your will and/or trust to 1) appoint a guardian for minor children in the event that you pass away before they reach the age of 18, and 2) provide a plan for your children to inherit your assets. Otherwise, under the law, children can inherit all assets once they reach the age of 18. It is also important to make sure you that are not inadvertently leaving out a new child or grandchild from your estate plan.
• Deaths – You may need to replace any deceased beneficiaries, executors, trustees, powers of attorney, and guardians. This not only applies to all your estate planning documents, but also includes documents where you name a beneficiary, such as retirement accounts or life insurance policies.  If a contingent beneficiary is not named for those products, the money will go into your estate, making it available to creditors.
• New disability or illness – If a beneficiary of your estate plan becomes disabled or ill, special planning can be implemented into your estate plan to ensure that these people are cared for and still retain benefits.  
• Marriage – If you are married, you may have to update your estate plan to include your new spouse. It is a common estate planning myth that when a spouse dies without a will, the other spouse will inherit everything.  Instead, a portion of the estate may go to the deceased’s children or the deceased’s parents instead of the spouse.  We also assist in retitling property in an effort to avoid probate.
• Divorce – If you become divorced, make sure your ex-spouse and his/her family is not inheriting or playing any other role in your estate plan. This also includes reviewing your beneficiary designations, such as retirement accounts or life insurance policies.
• Moving to a new state – If you have moved to a new state, does the new state have beneficial laws to incorporate?
• Buying real property in a second state – You may want to upgrade to a trust to avoid multiple probates in multiple states.
• Changes in assets or debts –For example, if your assets have dramatically increased, you may need to see if estate taxes are now an issue. If your debts have increased, you may need to come up with a different plan to shield your assets from creditors.

 
If you have had any major life changes or just want to ensure that your estate plan is in order, make it a goal for 2019 to plan for your future and the future of your loved ones with estate planning. We can help you to ensure that your property is distributed how and to whom you want it to be distributed and to ensure that you are leaving your family unburdened. 

A few weeks ago, viewers across North Carolina were shocked when they saw a story on the news about a mother, Rae Stone, and her son, Forrest.  Forrest had just turned 18 when he was involved in a snowboarding accident that left him in a coma.  The Virginia hospital treating Forrest would not allow his mother to make medical decisions on his behalf or access his medical information due to HIPAA.  According to the news story, the doctors at the hospital were the ones who were deemed to be the decision makers.
 
Clients in North Carolina want to know: Would this happen in North Carolina?
 
The answer is maybe. In North Carolina, the following people, in this order, are authorized to consent to medical treatment on behalf of an incapacitated patient:
 
(1) A health care agent appointed pursuant to a valid health care power of attorney[1] (unless the court has appointed a guardian and suspended the health care agent’s power);
 
(2) A court-appointed guardian;
 
(3) An attorney-in-fact, with powers to make health care decisions for the patient;[2]
 
(4) The patient's spouse;
 
(5) A majority of the patient's reasonably available parents and children who are at least 18 years of age;
 
(6) A majority of the patient's reasonably available siblings who are at least 18 years of age; or
 
(7) An individual who has an established relationship with the patient, who is acting in good faith on behalf of the patient, and who can reliably convey the patient's wishes.
 
(8) The patient's attending physician.[3]
 
Therefore, if a power of attorney or guardianship does not exist, in the event your unmarried child is incapacitated, you should be able to consent to their medical treatment in North Carolina.  If you are married, you should be able to consent to your spouse’s treatment if they become incapacitated.
 
Given the North Carolina statute, is there any reason why I should fill out a health care directive or appoint my loved one as my power of attorney?  Yes.

1. If you and your spouse are informally or legally separated, the spouse may still be able to make medical decisions on your behalf prior to your divorce. There is no case law on this issue. If you file a health care directive, the hospital must comply with your wishes.  Or you can appoint someone else power of attorney. 
2. The statute calls for a MAJORITY of reasonably available parents or children.  What if these parties disagree?  What if your parents and your children disagree with your treatment?  What if there is an even split, so there is not a majority?  There is no case law on this issue, either.  A health care directive or power of attorney appoints one person as the decision maker.
3. What if you know, in advance, that the person tasked with making the decision on your behalf pursuant to the statute (your husband, for example) disagrees with your final wishes?  For example, your husband would keep you alive on a ventilator, even if you had no chance at survival and you did not want to be kept alive?  If you draft a health care directive, you can direct the hospital to make decisions based on YOUR wishes, not those of your loved one.
4. Under HIPAA, a federal law that applies to medical facilities and patients in North Carolina, a physician may release medical information to family members in an emergency. The hospital is not required to.  If the hospital does not release the information, there is no way the family member can make decisions on the patient’s behalf, as allowed under North Carolina law.  However, a doctor is required to release information to a “personal representative,” which includes people named in a health care directive, health care power of attorney, or durable power of attorney that includes the power to make healthcare decisions.
5. Simplicity.  If you or a loved one are in the hospital, do you really want to risk it?  Do you want to spend your time arguing with the hospital or hiring an attorney to help you?  Probably not.  Having these documents drafted costs very little and does not take much time.  It can save a lot of headache and heartache in the future.

[1] Power of attorney for the sole purpose of making medical decisions on your behalf, or a health care agent named in your advanced health care directive (which outlines your wishes in the event you become incapacitated)..

[2] Power of attorney over  health care decisions (as you appoint).

[3] N.C.G. S. § 90-21.13.