Protect your loved ones.

As Pennsylvania transitions from Red to Yellow, significant restrictions will continue to limit our public interactions, and safety for ourselves and our loved ones requires continued separation.  However, these restrictions do not prevent you from assuring that important estate documents like Wills and powers-of-attorney are in place, updating those documents or health care directives to meet your needs, and making certain that your family and loved ones are protected.  

Remote Notary for Wills is a Great and Safe Idea.  

At any time, having your Will and estate documents in place provides protection and peace of mind.  During the current emergency, the protection of good estate planning is essential.  Fortunately, our Legislature has acted to legalize remote signing and notarization of estate documents for the remainder of the emergency and for two months thereafter. At CGA Law Firm, our attorneys can meet with you over the telephone or on-line to discuss and plan your estate planning documents.  Our paralegals can also provide remote notary service to sign, witness, and notarize all documents online.  The entire process can be completed without ever leaving the safety and security of your home.  Estate planning has never been safer!

A Power of Attorney Has Never Been More Important.  

In this time when your safety requires us to keep apart, it makes good sense to have a durable power of attorney in place.  A POA empowers a trusted agent to take action on your behalf, utilizing guidance and instructions that you provide in the document. Using a POA, an older and vulnerable person can authorize an adult child or trusted friend to act on their behalf while they stay safely in their home.  Parents should assure that young adult children have a POA in place, so that someone else can take action and provide care for them in case of illness.  It is important that a POA be immediately effective, and not conditioned upon some future determination of incapacity.  If you are unsure of the nature of your power of attorney or need to put this vital document in place, CGA Law Firm can help you to prepare and remotely finalize your POA.     

Health Care Directives Should Be Reviewed and Updated.  

A health care directive, or health care POA, is a vital part of an estate plan.  This document provides guidance to a trusted person to make health decisions should the principal be unable, and often includes a living will to control health care treatment in an end-of-life situation.  During the current emergency, it is more important than ever to be sure of the provisions of your health care directive.  Such a directive may have specific language regulating or prohibiting intubation or the use of a ventilator breathing machine for a patient.  The use of a ventilator has often been viewed with mistrust or fear, but in the current emergency, the use of a ventilator can be an essential means to recovery.  You should take the time to assure that you have a directive in place, and that it provides the guidance you want and need.  

At CGA Law Firm, our trained, experienced and caring paralegals and attorneys can help you to protect yourself and your loved ones during these uncertain days.  Our remote notary service makes it easier and safer than ever to have the right estate planning in place, without leaving your home. 

Call a CGA Estate Planning Attorney to put your estate documents in order today.

Timothy J. Bupp is a shareholder with CGA Law Firm and the chairs Firm’s Estate Law Section. He provides clients with specialized advice in Estate Planning, Business and tax planning, Real Estate transactions and related matters. Attorney Bupp has earned the designation of Certified Elder Law Attorney from the National Elder Law Foundation, the only ABA-approved Elder Law certification approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  As a CELA,  Tim is recognized to have completed the training and practice required to be an expert in the field of elder and special needs law. 

Attorney Tim Bupp, CGA Estate Planning & Administration Chair

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