Think you are too young for “Estate Planning”? Think again. There are two basic parts to “Estate Planning”: (1) Powers of Attorney for when you are alive and (2) Wills and Trusts for after you pass. Maybe you don’t need a will or trust at this time in your life, but proactive planning with flat-rate Powers of Attorney is the most valuable step you can take towards a secure future.
Don’t leave your future to chance. Powers of Attorney for healthcare empower you to make your health preferences clear, ensuring they're upheld even when you're unable to voice them. Powers of Attorney for financial matters keeps your financial course steady and in trusted hands in the event you became unable to care for yourself.
Do you have a family member who is a Missouri resident who has become unable to care for themselves and they did not have properly executed Powers of Attorney? Schedule a time for a free consultation to decide the best path forward.
Schedule an AppointmentDo you have a family member who was a Missouri resident who has passed away and you need some advice? Schedule a time for a free consultation to decide the best path forward.
Schedule an AppointmentIf you have been injured, it is tough to know which attorney to call. Schedule a time for a free consultation and we can discuss potential attorneys in the area and their strong suits, whether it be car crashes, medical negligence, slip and fall, nursing home negligence, product injuries or workers compensation. I have learned a lot in 22 years and would love to have the opportunity to help.
Schedule an AppointmentThe process is simple for anyone that wants to get their Powers of Attorney done at a flat rate or have a consultation on the probate process for decedent’s estate or guardianships / conservatorships.
Select the “Request an Appointment” button and fill out the requested information.
Pay the $240 invoice if you have selected the Powers of Attorney service. There is no invoice or charge for the one hour consultation for the other services (decedent’s estates, guardianships / conservatorships, and personal injury consultation).
You will receive an email with a link to schedule a one hour Zoom with attorney Laura Lumaghi at your convenience during work, evening or weekend hours. In person appointments are also available upon request.
Sit down with attorney Laura Lumaghi and get your questions answered.
a few questions that we hear often
During her time as a personal injury attorney, Laura helped many injured people achieve their goal of justice through the legal system. However sometimes these people were so badly injured, they could no longer to care for themselves. Most had never signed a Power of Attorney for medical care or for financial decisions. This meant that a member of their family had to hire an attorney to file a petition with the probate court to get appointed guardian (power over the body and healthcare decisions) and/or conservator (power of over money and financial decisions) for this injured family member.
Also, parents don't realize that once their child turns 18, they can no longer make any kind of medical or financial decisions if that child becomes incapacitated and unable to make their own decisions. If a child away at college gets hurt and is unable to make decisions for themselves, a petition to be appointed their guardian and potentially their conservator would have to be filed, at much expense to the parents.
Guardianships and Conservatorships Cost a Lot of Money.
A great deal of money is spent on attorneys' fees (between $3,000 and $8,000 a year) in these cases because every expense that needs to be paid for the injured adult has to be pre-approved by the probate court before it can be spent. To get pre-approval, a petition must be drafted and filed with the probate court by an attorney – it cannot be filed by a non-attorney. The probate court also requires from the conservator a yearly annual settlement in which every penny spent on behalf of the injured person is accounted. Every receipt must be kept and filed with the probate court each year when the annual settlement is due.
Guardianships and Conservatorships Can Be Avoided
Everyone should have Powers of Attorney (POAs) for healthcare and finances in place. These allow a designated person to make medical and financial decisions without having to go to the probate court. At a cost of $240 for both documents and one hour of your time, it is well worth it to avoid the costs of the probate court.
Powers of Attorney are important and can be expensive when they are offered as part of full estate planning. Young people avoid getting them done since they may not need the full estate planning or cannot afford the cost. I am trying to make it as easy as possible for people to access Powers of Attorney since I have seen first-hand what can happen when a young person become disabled or incapacitated and did not have these documents.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.