Prepare for the Unexpected
Powers of Attorney & Health Care Directives
If illness or injury prevents you from making decisions, incapacity planning ensures the right individuals can handle your healthcare and financial matters according to your preferences.
Planning early provides an opportunity to coordinate legal documents, healthcare directives, and financial strategies. This approach helps individuals maintain independence while ensuring their wishes are clearly communicated and respected.
Clara AI guide
Capital Legacy Counseling's AI guide. General information, never legal advice.
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Our focus
What this covers
- Healthcare PlanningPreparing for future medical care needs through healthcare directives, so medical decisions reflect personal wishes.
- Financial decisionsNaming the people who can handle your finances if illness or injury prevents you from doing it yourself.
- Healthcare Decision PlanningHelping families prepare for medical and personal care decisions.
- Family Decision PlanningEnsuring family members understand care preferences and are prepared to assist with important decisions.
Questions families ask
General answers, before you meet
General information only, not legal advice. For your own situation, the free 30 minute meeting is the place to ask.
What if I get sick and cannot make decisions?
Incapacity planning names the people who can handle your health care and your finances if illness or injury stops you from doing it yourself. Without those documents, your family may need to go to court for a guardianship. For your own situation, the free 30 minute meeting is the place to ask.
What is a power of attorney?
A financial power of attorney lets someone you choose manage your money and property for you, for example paying bills or handling accounts, if you cannot. Maryland has its own statute and form for powers of attorney, with specific signing rules. For your own situation, the free 30 minute meeting is the place to ask.
What is an advance directive?
In Maryland an advance directive lets you name a health care agent to make medical decisions if you cannot, and record your wishes about treatment, including at the end of life. It is part of most estate plans. For your own situation, the free 30 minute meeting is the place to ask.
What is guardianship or conservatorship?
When someone can no longer manage their personal or financial affairs and has no documents in place, a court may appoint a guardian for personal and medical decisions, and someone to manage finances and property. The firm helps families through that court process. For your own situation, the free 30 minute meeting is the place to ask.
How it works
The same four steps
Discovery and education, strategy and design, implementation, and ongoing support.
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Our process begins with understanding your unique situation, family dynamics, and long-term goals. During the discovery phase, we take the time to learn what matters most to you.
We also guide you through the estate planning process, explaining the available planning tools and legal strategies in clear language so you can make confident decisions.
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After understanding your needs, we design a customized strategy tailored to your financial situation, family structure, and long-term objectives.
This step focuses on building a comprehensive plan that protects your assets, supports your loved ones, and ensures your wishes are carried out as intended.
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Once your strategy is finalized, we prepare the necessary legal documents and ensure they are properly executed.
Our team carefully structures every document so your estate plan works effectively and protects your family when it matters most.
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Estate planning is not a one-time event. As your life changes, your plan should evolve as well. Through our ongoing support services, we help review and update your plan when necessary.
Our annual service package allows us to monitor changes in federal and state laws, so your estate plan stays aligned with current legal requirements.
Start here
A free 30 minute meeting
Every plan starts with a conversation about your family, what you own, and what matters to you. The first meeting is free and takes 30 minutes, online, by phone, or by appointment at the Rockville office. Nothing is signed at that meeting.
What the booking form asks
- Have you created a will or trust before?Yes, but it needs to be updated. Or no, I haven't started yet.
- What prompted your interest?Protecting my children or family, avoiding probate, reducing taxes, managing real estate or business assets, or something else.
- When are you hoping to have your plan completed?Within 30 days, within 3 months, or just exploring for now.
Plus a date, a time, your time zone and how you prefer to be contacted.
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