Saulino Law LLC is hosting two free sessions on the importance of Estate Planning. We will go
into more detail about different choices and terms mentioned below, as well as things to think
about depending upon what stage of life you are in. The free sessions are being held at our office
on Thursday January 29th at 10am and February 3rd at 6pm. We will also be holding an
informational session on Medicaid and Long-Term Care Planning on February 13th at noon.

Most people do not want to talk about death, or what happens after they die. They think I have a
simple estate; I do not need a will or anything like that. It’s uncomfortable to talk about death
and planning for it.

A good estate plan is more than just a will. A will-based estate plan typically includes four
documents: a Last Will and Testament, a Durable Power of Attorney, a Healthcare Power of
Attorney and a Living Will or Advance Directive. Each document serves a specific purpose.

The Will states how you would like your estate to be distributed after you die. But depending
upon your age, whether you have minor children or not, are married, etc., the Will is much more
important. For those with minor children or disabled family members, the Will identifies a
guardian for your children or dependents and appoints a trustee to manage the funds for those
family members. Once your children are no longer minors, you may want to update your Will. If
you have a disabled spouse or children who are dependent upon certain government benefits, or
cannot manage funds on their own, the Will gives you the ability to create a Trust to help your
family members after you die.

However, the most important document you can have during your lifetime is the Durable Power
of Attorney. It only works while you are alive, and continues if you become incapacitated later in
life. It allows you to designate an Agent to act as you financially. For example, you were hit by a
bus and needed to access your IRA funds to pay for care. If you did not already designate an
Agent on the account it will be very difficult to access. For instance, if you cannot speak on the
phone to your IRA company, they may not accept your Durable Power of Attorney. It is really
important to get these documents while you are healthy and can appoint your agent to accounts
that only you can access such as Qualified Retirement Accounts.

The Healthcare Power of Attorney and Living Will work together. You can designate an Agent to
make healthcare decisions for you, if you cannot speak for yourself. The Living Will gives your
family the ability to know how you would like to be treated at the end of your life.

Saulino Law LLC
600 W. Germantown Pike Suite 400
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
RSVP to: 610-915-8181 or michelle@saulinolaw.com