By Susan M. Graham, Certified Elder Law Attorney, Senior Edge Legal, Boise, Idaho
I walk my dogs every day. We cruise the neighborhood. Of course making it safe, but also noticing any changes or new things. For the last month I have noticed piles of dirt around the wooden telephone poles. It seemed odd to me. Yesterday, I saw a young man digging around a pole. I asked him why and he told me the city decided it is much cheaper to dig the dirt from around the wooden poles, treat the wood with something to stop any rot or bug infestation, wrap it in a special cloth and then refill the dirt. This saves them loads of money because it is cheaper to maintain the poles, than it is to replace them. Of course, that makes sense. We have limited resources, and it is cheaper to take care of what we have, rather than let it fall apart and only notice when it fails.
How does this relate to you? If you have gone to the trouble and effort, and paid for, an estate plan to help protect you and those you care about if you are ill or die, why not make certain it still works. When the telephone poles were installed they were the best, but as time goes by things change. The City still wants them to be the best and can help that happen with maintenance. You, too, need to maintain your plan so that it works when you need it How can you do this? Set up a review appointment with your estate planning attorney to review your existing plan to determine if it covers your current circumstances and what you want to happen when you become ill or die. If not, it is easy to make changes now before there is a problem. The City is saving money and headaches. So can you.