Death with Dignity


October 15, 2014
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Brittany Maynard, an Oregon resident, selected the date November 1, 2014 as the day she will end her life. Brittany is 29 years old, and was recently diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She is plagued with seizures and increasing pain and her most recent diagnosis gave her only six more months to live. Instead of […]

In the News – Be Inspired By La Crosse, WI


April 29, 2014
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On CBS Sunday Morning this past Sunday, the whole program was dedicated to life and death. One particular story that stood out was on La Crosse, WI. In La Crosse, WI, “…96 percent of the people who passed away here had created advance directives. That’s the highest percentage of end-of-life planning in a nation where […]

In the News – Health Care Directives


January 18, 2014
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In the past few weeks, there have been two stories that have caught our attention regarding the issue of incapacity and the need for advanced health care directives. The first news story unfortunately involved a minor child, who had been declared brain-dead by her doctors following complications from tonsil surgery. Her parents however wished to […]

ESTATE PLANNING FOR YOUNG ADULTS…REALLY?


November 27, 2013
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If you have a young adult child coming home for the holidays, the Thanksgiving table might serve as a good opportunity to talk with them about estate planning.   While most young adults do not own property or have children that may necessitate a Will, two major estate planning documents are often overlooked by young people […]

Estate Planning Tips for the Sandwich Generation


November 12, 2013
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While long proven to be a delectable meal, a sandwich as applied to the “sandwich generation” is significantly less appealing. For many of us, we are facing a time where our parents and our children need us simultaneously – and frequently this is occurring during a period in our professional lives when our employers’ and […]

TED Talks: Prepare For A Good End Of Life


June 17, 2013
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I recently came across this TED Talk by Judy MacDonald Johnston and thought she did such a great job starting the discussion on end-of-life planning that I had to share it with our readers. The video is worth watching (it is a short 6 minutes) and should be shared with any loved ones who are unwilling […]

Disposition of Remains: A Difficult, but Necessary Discussion


April 30, 2013
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What happens when one dies without a Health Care Directive and has specific wishes regarding the disposition of his or her body? What happens when a dispute occurs amongst remaining loved ones who have differing opinions about the disposition of the deceased’s body? These are important questions to examine when considering whether or not to […]

The Basics of Organ Donation


March 28, 2013
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Many of us come across the thought of organ donation for the first time when we apply for a driver’s license. Usually at that young age, it is a topic difficult to consider and oftentimes disregarded. As we age we begin to consider the opportunity each one of us has to save another’s life with […]

Do I Still Need An Estate Plan?


January 23, 2013
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Some people continue to ask why they need an estate plan, especially since Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act, which made the $5 million federal estate tax exemption permanent. The question is often, “If my estate is under $5 million, why do I need an estate plan or need to be concerned with any […]

Communicating End of Life Wishes


January 15, 2013
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Last week, The New York Times ran a piece called “Help for Planning End of Life Care.” The blog post, by Paula Span, discusses a new website called Prepare, which is to help people prepare for their death and communicate their end of life wishes to their loved ones. Here at Epilawg, we have talked […]

End of Life Decisions with a Guardianship


October 29, 2012
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Earlier this month, a Hennepin County District Court Judge addressed the questions, “Who has the power to decide if a person under guardianship should be allowed to die?  Should it be the guardian …?  Should it be the Court …?”