Basics of Estate Planning Class
Riverside elder law attorney Dennis M. Sandoval conducted a class for the Alzheimer’s Support Group of the Riverside Medical Group Foundation this past week. The class covered the basics of estate planning for persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, including powers of attorney, advance health care directives, conservatorships, wills, trusts, and probate. All of the participants said they learned a lot from the presentation.
Incapacity Planning and Conservatorships
Of particular importance was the discussion of lifetime incapacity planning. A person with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may become the subject of a conservatorship when he or she loses the ability to manage his or her financial affairs or make personal care decisions. A conservatorship is a legal process when the Riverside or San Bernardino County Probate Court appoints a person to manage the personal and financial affairs of an incapacitated person. That person is known as the conservator of the person or the conservator of the estate, or both. The conservator manages the day to day to day affairs of the person and reports annual to the Probate Court. If a conservatorship of the estate is necessary, the conservator of the estate will have to provide an annual accounting to the Probate Court and other persons entitled to copies of the accounting.
Durable Power of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directive
If an individual prepares a durable power of attorney for property and an advance health care directive when he or she has the mental capacity to do so, he or she may be able to avoid the necessity of a conservatorship in the event he or she develops Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia or some other form of incapacity. Pre-planning avoids the cost and frustration of the conservatorship process and allows the person to choose who he or she wishes to make health care and financial decisions for him or her.
Support Groups
The Riverside Medical Center Foundation currently has support groups for Alzeimer’s Disease and Dementia, Autism, Endometriosis, and Prostate Cancer. Other Support Groups are being formed all the time. Contact Megan for more information about these support groups.
Educational Webinars
Mr. Sandoval conducts free educational webinars on a monthly basis. Click here to see the webinars scheduled for the remainder of 2018 and beyond. You can schedule an appointment with the attorneys at Sandoval Legacy Group, a division of Holstrom, Block & Parke, A Professional Law Corporation, by calling 951-888-1460.
Have a question? Ask Dennis.
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