Decision Authority, Protection & Contingency Planning

Phase 3 covers advanced estate planning topics such as incapacity planning, blended families, special needs considerations, and long-term protections.

Estate Planning Series – Phase 3

Phase 3 of the Estate Planning Series focuses on what happens if you’re alive but unable to make decisions for yourself. This phase explains how legal authority is assigned, how financial and medical decisions are handled, and how to protect your wishes during illness, injury, or incapacity.

Rather than focusing on asset transfer, Phase 3 centers on control, protection, and continuity—ensuring the right people can act on your behalf without court intervention or confusion.

What You’ll Learn

Phase 3 focuses on decision authority, protection, and continuity—what happens if you’re alive but unable to speak, act, or make decisions for yourself, and how your family navigates complex dynamics when plans aren’t clear.

Topics in this phase include:

• Who can manage your finances if you’re incapacitated, and how that authority works
• How medical decisions are made through powers of attorney and living wills
• Planning considerations for families with minor children
• Estate planning challenges unique to blended families
• How disability trusts work and when they may be appropriate
• Ways to reduce conflict by having estate planning conversations early
• How different planning tools affect privacy and confidentiality

Each article builds practical understanding around control, communication, and protection, helping you prepare for situations that are often overlooked—but deeply impactful.