Estate Planning Guidance For College Students
Turning 18 is all about freedom… and responsibility.
What a significant and delightful rite of passage that comes with new experiences, learnings and independence. With that independence naturally comes responsibility and awareness.
Turning 18 provides you with the right to make decisions for yourselves. At the age of 18, you are considered to have the legal capacity to sign legal documents, which means that your parents no longer have the right to make these decisions on your behalf unless you authorize them to.
This also means that estate planning begins at the age of 18.
That’s right – estate planning isn’t just for the mature adult or the wealthy individual. Estate planning goes beyond financial planning. At age 18, you become solely responsible for your own medical decisions. Parents have no legal right to their adult child’s medical records, even if the adult child is on the parent’s group insurance plan. This makes it pretty much impossible for parents to step in and help adult children with medical issues.
Now consider the fact that many 18-year-olds will soon be heading off to college, sometimes down the street and sometimes out of state. This is why estate planning is so important – especially for the college-aged adult. By making sure that the proper documents are in place, you can rest easy knowing that you are truly prepared to experience the joy and freedom that reaching adulthood has to offer.
Start Your Estate Plan Today
As an experienced estate planning lawyer, I can help college-aged students understand the importance of an estate plan and help set them up with the legal documents they need for peace of mind. Whether you’re a young adult interested in an estate plan or the parent of an 18-year-old college-bound child that you want to help, I can provide you with the answers and knowledge necessary to make informed estate planning choices.
I represent college-aged adults throughout Round Rock and the surrounding area and can provide you with the legal assistance you need to start a strong estate plan. Call my firm, Ibeling Law Limited, today at 512-893-6860 to get started. Or send me an email through the online form.