Incapacity Planning in Colorado Tip Sheet

When it comes to incapacity planning in Colorado, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the details and legal intricacies that are a part of the process. If you want to develop an incapacity plan, it’s best to leave the legal details to your attorney. You, on the other hand, would probably be better served by focusing on some of the bigger issues. If you are considering incapacity planning in Colorado, here are some tips you might want to keep in mind.

Incapacity planning in Colorado means making educated choices

The overall goal of an incapacity plan is to make sure that your wishes are respected in the event you become incapacitated. For most people, the prospect of incapacitation is not a pleasant one, and one they tend to shy away from thinking about. While this is entirely natural, you need to fight this urge and give yourself some time to research the issues that might lead to your incapacitation.

For example, if you have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, you will definitely want to take some time to research these medical conditions so that you understand them better. Once you know what you might expect to experience should you suffer from these elements, you can make much better choices about what kind of treatment you will want to happen to you if you become incapacitated as a result.

Incapacity planning in Colorado means communication

Another key part of developing an incapacity plan in Colorado is communicating with the people who are closest to you. Incapacity plans are designed to speak for you when you can no longer can speak for yourself. Not only do they allow you to make specific choices, but they allow you to name others who can make choices on your behalf.

Regardless of whether you are choosing someone to make health care decisions for you, or if you are using your plan to make your wishes known to your doctors and loved ones, talking about your choices before your plan takes effect is always a good idea.

Incapacity plans, when they work properly, prevent family conflicts from arising. Instead of your family fighting over what you would’ve wanted, your plan allows you to tell them your wishes in no uncertain terms. Being clear about your wishes and talking to your loved ones about what you want to accomplish with your plan can only be of benefit to you and your loved ones.

Incapacity planning in Colorado is not something that’s written in stone

It’s also important to remember that once you create an incapacity plan, you will retain the ability to change or modify the plan as long as you are mentally competent. Changing your plan is simple, so don’t worry about making decisions that might last you your entire life. If you change your mind later, you can always go back and change your plan.

Contact us with your questions

If you have more questions about incapacity planning, give our office a call. We regularly offer free estate planning workshops that will help you better understand the subject. Register for an estate planning workshop today.