May 24, 2012

Michigan Retired Residents: Are your estate planning documents compatible where you spend your winter?

Attention snowbirds!  Are you covered when you fly South for the Winter?

Many Michigan residents are lucky enough to spend the winter in sunny Florida.  If you are one these snowbirds, do you have a Durable Power of Attorney and an advanced directive for your health care decisions that are compliant with both Michigan and Florida law?  If not, you could cost your estate or your loved ones a lot of money if something were to happen to you and you were unable to make decisions for yourself. 

If you do not have a document that is recognized by the law of the state you are living in that names someone to legally make decisions for you, your loved ones may be forced to go through the courts in that state to get an individual appointed to act for you.  This is a decision that you should make for yourself, as you know best who you would trust to make important decisions for your regarding your finances and health care. 

The Florida law related to these documents is considerably different than the Michigan law; therefore, if you have Michigan compliant documents but you spend a large portion of time in Florida, you should contact an attorney and get Florida compliant documents drafted as well. 

© 2012 Varnum LLP

About the Author

Associate

Jessica is a staff associate in the firm’s corporate practice group. She is a regular contributor on estate planning matters in Varnum's blog, under the Legacies category.

616/846-7100

Boost: AJAX core statistics

Legal Disclaimer

You are responsible for reading, understanding and agreeing to the National Law Review's (NLR’s) and the National Law Forum LLC's  Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before using the National Law Review website. The National Law Review is a free to use, no-log in database of legal and business articles. The content and links on www.NatLawReview.com are intended for general information purposes only. Any legal analysis, legislative updates or other content and links should not be construed as legal or professional advice or a substitute for such advice. No attorney-client or confidential relationship is formed by the transmission of information between you and the National Law Review website or any of the law firms, attorneys or other professionals or organizations who include content on the National Law Review website. If you require legal or professional advice, kindly contact an attorney or other suitable professional advisor.  

Some states have laws and ethical rules regarding solicitation and advertisement practices by attorneys and/or other professionals. NLR does not accept advertising from attorneys or law firms. The National Law Review is not a law firm nor is www.NatLawReview.com  intended to be an advertisement or a referral service for attorneys and/or other professionals. The NLR does not wish, nor does it intend, to solicit the business of anyone or to refer anyone to an attorney or other professional.  NLR does not answer legal questions nor will we refer you to an attorney or other professional if you request such information from us. 

Under certain state laws the following statements may be required on this website and we have included them in order to be in full compliance with these rules. The choice of a lawyer or other professional is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Attorney Advertising Notice: Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Statement in compliance with Texas Rules of Professional Conduct. Unless otherwise noted, attorneys are not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, nor can NLR attest to the accuracy of any notation of Legal Specialization or other Professional Credentials.