Spring break has come and gone for most Florida college students. But another annual rite is upon those who wish to become Florida college students: opening the letters of acceptance (or rejection) for high school seniors.
While most of those young people are focused on the studies (and mischief) they will soon undertake, an important part of the transition from child to adult is far too often ignored: estate planning. Now we understand that many students and parents will gasp at the suggestion that estate planning should be part of young adult development, you should first consider the argument made by an estate planning attorney who lives about three hours south of Cocoa.
Most people think of estate planning as something for the elderly or rich, but a Florida estate planning lawyer makes a good case that the same arguments that work for those groups work for 18-year-old college-bound students.
The Boca Raton attorney points out that estate planning is more than just a will. It also includes documents such as a Health Care Surrogate, Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney.
- The Durable Power of Attorney enables parents to access educational and financial information for their young adult child, also enabling them to get information about student loans, bank accounts and digital assets.
- A Health Care Surrogate enables parents of an incapacitated adult child to make medical decisions and access medical records. If the college student is badly injured in a car crash and admitted to a hospital, a Health Care Surrogate designation can enable parents to have access to medical records and make crucial medical decisions for their son or daughter.
These documents and others can provide parents with much-needed peace of mind as their child leaves the nest for life on their own.