The world watched in horror as the stabbing spree at a Texas Community College unfolded on Tuesday, April 9th.  At least  14 people were injured at the hands of mentally unstable student Dylan Andrew Quick, 20.  Quick used a “razor-type knife”  and began slashing students in between classes.  Amazingly, none of the injuries were fatal.

This can be attributed to the quick response of fellow students and faculty who tackled the stabbing suspect to  the ground and sat on him until Rescue Workers arrived.  Unfortunately random acts of violence have become all too common.   But proper planning helped mitigate the injuries in this attack.  Employees, staff, and students in every profession  have gotten the message that if chaos strikes, don’t sit idly by and hope for the best.  That’s too risky.  The same can be said  of unexpected circumstances in life such as sudden accidents or death.  We can’t prevent catastrophes, but we CAN have a contingency plan in place in case they do occur.

Severe injury or death of a loved one is always followed by panic, shock, and frequently chaos.  In case you become  disabled or incapacitated in Florida, who will call the shots?  Who will give informed consent regarding the type of medical  treatment you should receive?

Our team of experienced South Florida estate planning attorneys can help you prepare crucial documents that reflect your  medical and financial desires.  This includes:

  1. Durable Power of Attorney – will allow the designated person(s) to manage your financial affairs should you become  mentally or physically unable to do so.
  2. Designation of Health Care Surrogate – allows the designated person(s) to make medical decisions on your behalf.
  3. HIPAA Release – HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) requires health care providers  to be very careful how they release health care information. You will name one or more persons who will be able to have  access to all of your medical information.
  4. Living Will – will state whether you want your life to be artificially prolonged or whether you prefer to be allowed  to die naturally.

 

The best way to be certain of which supplemental documents you need as part of your estate plan is to consult with your  estate planning attorney.

For more information on successful Florida estate planning and medical designation choices,  please contact the South Florida law firm of Wild Felice & Partners, P.A. at 954-944-2855 to schedule your free consultation.

It’s a Wild world. Are you protected?

 

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