A Summary of the Services We Offer
Trustee or Executor for Estate Administration
To wind up your affairs after your death, a Trustee will take care of one or more of the following:
Trustee or Power of Attorney for Finances Assisting You During Your Lifetime
When you can no longer manage your affairs, a Trustee or POA for finances will provide guidance and complete important tasks such as:
Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Sometimes your family is not near enough to help with your care as you age or become disabled (or you are not near enough to your loved ones to provide that care.) Through a durable power of attorney for healthcare – sometimes called Advance Directives – you can authorize us to fill that critical role:
Conservator
One of our most important and rewarding roles is that of conservator. Conservatorships are created by courts when an individual has not planned for his or her mental or physical disability with a trust, power of attorney or similar. (In some states, conservators are called guardians.) A conservatorship order empowers someone – a family member, friend or professional fiduciary – to take control over most aspects of your life, and to make decisions for you. Conservatorships are not created lightly, and the responsibility that comes with an appointment as conservator is serious and demanding. Conservatorships are closely monitored by the Probate Court, and some actions and decisions of conservators require court approval.
There are three basic types of conservator:
Daily Money Manager
With age or illness, sometimes the day-to-day management of your/your loved one’s bills becomes difficult. Keeping track of due dates, recalling whether a bill is paid or not, ensuring that checking accounts don’t overdraw – previously simple tasks can become overwhelming or fall by the wayside. When that happens, late fees, reconnect fees, unexpected cessation of services, liens and many other penalties and disruptions can result. Generally, all we need to do is reroute the bills to us, and we will ensure that they are paid on time, and create easy to follow reporting for you or your loved ones. This simple service can ease your mind, and those of your loved ones.
To wind up your affairs after your death, a Trustee will take care of one or more of the following:
- Notify all appropriate businesses and government agencies
- Make life insurance claims
- Apply for Social Security and/or Veterans Benefits for your survivors
- Pay bills and expenses on behalf of the trust
- Create an inventory of your assets and liabilities
- Prepare financial reports and accountings
- File taxes
- Educate surviving spouse in money management and daily living skills
- Distribute income and principal according to the terms of your trust
Trustee or Power of Attorney for Finances Assisting You During Your Lifetime
When you can no longer manage your affairs, a Trustee or POA for finances will provide guidance and complete important tasks such as:
- Apply for private pension benefits, annuity benefits and other benefits to supplement your resources in covering your growing expenses
- Maintain detailed financial records regarding your income and assets
- Pay bills and expenses and handle your other daily matters
- Initiate home modifications, care support and other strategies to help you/your loved one remain at home as long as possible
- Secure, maintain and manage personal and real property
- Protect you or your loved one from elder abuse
- Oversee investments and manage businesses or rentals held in trust
- Establish a maintenance schedule for home, landscape, vehicles, etc.
- Determine your income and expenses, and create a budget
- Help you select an advisory team, including investment adviser, financial planner, attorney, and healthcare professionals
- Coordinate care managers if needed, to ensure that you remain safe and healthy
- Help you select an alternative living situation, if needed
Power of Attorney for Healthcare
Sometimes your family is not near enough to help with your care as you age or become disabled (or you are not near enough to your loved ones to provide that care.) Through a durable power of attorney for healthcare – sometimes called Advance Directives – you can authorize us to fill that critical role:
- Serve as the “eyes and ears” of family members for elders who live far from them
- Be available for emergency situations
- Help you/your loved one understand and make healthcare decisions, or make them on your/his/her behalf
- Coordinate needs assessments on your/your loved one’s behalf
- Conduct complete review of medications to mitigate medication-related illness
- Review and oversee medical needs, treatment plans and care plans
- Advocate for you/your loved one with healthcare professionals and institutions
- Ensure that you/your loved one is in a safe and nourishing environment
- Gather appropriate recommendations for residential placement, if your/your loved one’s care needs indicate that it’s time to move
- Ensure that your/your loved one’s end of life decisions are honored
Conservator
One of our most important and rewarding roles is that of conservator. Conservatorships are created by courts when an individual has not planned for his or her mental or physical disability with a trust, power of attorney or similar. (In some states, conservators are called guardians.) A conservatorship order empowers someone – a family member, friend or professional fiduciary – to take control over most aspects of your life, and to make decisions for you. Conservatorships are not created lightly, and the responsibility that comes with an appointment as conservator is serious and demanding. Conservatorships are closely monitored by the Probate Court, and some actions and decisions of conservators require court approval.
There are three basic types of conservator:
- Conservator of Estate is very like a Trustee or Power of Attorney for Financial Matters
- Conservator of Person is similar to Power of Attorney for Healthcare
- General Conservator combines the two
Daily Money Manager
With age or illness, sometimes the day-to-day management of your/your loved one’s bills becomes difficult. Keeping track of due dates, recalling whether a bill is paid or not, ensuring that checking accounts don’t overdraw – previously simple tasks can become overwhelming or fall by the wayside. When that happens, late fees, reconnect fees, unexpected cessation of services, liens and many other penalties and disruptions can result. Generally, all we need to do is reroute the bills to us, and we will ensure that they are paid on time, and create easy to follow reporting for you or your loved ones. This simple service can ease your mind, and those of your loved ones.