Why Estate Planning is a Woman’s Issue
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In a nation consumed with wealth-building, it’s easy to forget that earning money is only half the financial security battle. Equally important is protecting our hard-won financial security with a well-designed estate plan. For women, the importance of planning is paramount, because most often women must cope when loved ones become disabled or die. A recent study by Penn State University found that wives were three times more likely to have to cope with a mate’s illness or injury. The study also revealed that few husbands had prepared the kind of estate planning documents that would have eased their wives’ burdens. For example, a Living Will and a Health Care Power of Attorney give wives the legal clout to act on their husbands’ behalf in the event of an emergency.
Without these tools, wives must endure the process of living probate, also known as a guardianship proceeding, in which a husband may be declared incompetent, and a probate judge decides who should be responsible for his personal care and financial affairs. While the wife is often granted this role, there are no guarantees that she will prevail. Judges have wide discretion over whom they may appoint, and the judge may deem that an outsider or professional guardian may be better suited to the task.