The importance of a living will, POA, and a will

Verbally telling people what you want to have done or not done, where you want your things to go and the whom, and who will manage your money if you are incapacitated is all fine and good, but it doesn't hold up.
Having a dialogue with your loved ones about these things is great, but unless it's on paper and notarized, you are playing odds you wouldn't wish to lay a bet on.

Living Will:  this tells people what you want or don't want.  Long and short term, tubes down your throat, CPR pounding on your chest and the associated broken ribs and chance of punctured lungs, feeding tubes in your belly, and a myriad of other things that it you give them thought or see them in action, you probably would say not a chance to.  A living will allows your family to go and tell the surgeon, nope, my parent didn't want a feeding tube, doesn't want a ventilator, etc.  Without it, your family feels they have to do everything possible to keep you alive, whether or not it's what you wanted.
Think about it.  Do you really want to place that burden on your spouse or children?
You are placing an enormous emotional strain on them, forcing them to make live or death choices because you were too selfish in your fear to think about it and set it up yourself.  How are they to make good choices if they are scared and distraught and you didn't leave them any instructions?

POA:  This allows the person of your choice to sign documents for you, to buy supplies, pay your bills out of you accounts, and maintain your residence while you are unable to do so.  By having this set up ahead of time, you streamline things for your family.  Without it, they have to petition courts and leave your mortgage unpaid and all sorts of other issues.

Will:  Just get one.  Help your family get what is due to them, otherwise the state gets half plus fees.  Did you really work that hard your whole life for the state to take half?  Not to mention that you can assign things to people, like make sure that Cousin Harry gets your lucky hammer or your youngest gets the coin collection without having to divvy it among the others.


Legalzoom can get you the basics of all these things for very low cost.  Most lawyers will set all this up for around $150-200.  You are out of excuses.  Just do it.  Save your family the heartache.