Should My Teenager Have Advance Directives?

Many Connecticut residents who are currently in their 40s and 50s have teenagers who are reaching the age of majority. Some have a year before leaving for college, while others may be heading to college in the coming months. If you are among the middle-aged population in the state that has a teenager who has recently turned 18 years old, should you discuss advance directives with your child and encourage your child to complete these estate planning documents? While many people mistakenly assume that estate planning is only something that you should begin thinking about as you get older, or if you begin to have health issues, it is essential to know that is a misconception. Certain aspects of estate planning — including the creation of advance directives — should be considered as soon as a person reaches adulthood.

In short, if you have a teenager who recently turned 18 years old, it is not too early to discuss advance directives with them and why these documents are important to have in place. Our Connecticut estate planning attorney can explain in more detail.

What Are Advance Directives?

The term “advance directives” can refer to different types of documents that allow individuals to make decisions in the present about their future health care. Different states have their own specific advance directives, but in general, advance directives include what is known as a living will and a health care power of attorney.

In Connecticut, the living will is called either a living will or “health care instructions.” This document allows a person to indicate what, if any, life-sustaining care they would like to receive or decline in the event that they become incapacitated with a terminal condition and cannot take part in their own health care decisions. To be clear, a living will has no relationship to a will — this is not a document to indicate how assets are to be distributed upon death or who will act as a representative of the person’s estate.

A health care power of attorney is called an “appointment of a health care representative” in Connecticut. This is a document through which a person can appoint a person they trust as their representative to make health care decisions on their behalf in the event they become incapacitated and cannot communicate their own health care decisions. This document can be extremely important in the event a person is involved in a serious accident, is unconscious, and a decision must be made about surgery or another essential health care procedure.

Contact a Canton Estate Planning Attorney Today for Assistance with Advance Directives and Your Teenager’s Estate Planning Needs

In what can seem like only an instant, our young children become adults. Once your teenager reaches the age of majority and begins to think about moving away for college or finding their own home or apartment, it is also important for your child to think about certain aspects of estate planning. While there is a common misconception, as we discussed above, that estate planning is only for older people or those who are ill or very wealthy, certain components of an estate plan are crucial for adults of all ages. It is never too early to begin talking with your teenager about certain aspects of their own estate plan, and advance directives in particular. If you have questions, or if you want to find an attorney to work with your 18-year-old on their advance directives, you should get in touch with an experienced Canton estate planning lawyer at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe today. Contact our firm for assistance.

Source:

portal.ct.gov/dmhas/programs-and-services/advocacy/advance-directives