 Planning a meeting with a lawyer to help your aging relative plan for the future?
If so, take a moment to read this to help you understand the legal terms commonly used by lawyer.
Here are some terms your lawyer may use:
Agent- The person given legal authority to make financial decisions for the person with dementia
(principal) through a power of attorney document, usually a trusted family member or friend; see also, health care agent
Artificial life support- Medical equipment and other technology used to prolong the life of a person who is seriously ill by sustaining essential body functions, like breathing
Assets- Personal possessions of value, including cash, bank accounts, real estate, vehicles and investments
Beneficiaries- The people named in the will to receive the estate of the person with dementia upon his or her death
Conservator- The person appointed by the courts to make financial and/or health care decisions on behalf of the person with dementia; referred to as the guardian in some U.S. states
Custody- Legal responsibility for a person
DNR- Stands for “Do not resuscitate” and refers to a person’s instructions that, if his or her heart or breathing stops, the doctor should not try to restart it
Durable- When a power of attorney document is durable, it is valid even after the person with dementia can no longer make his or her own decisions
Execute- To legally sign or “carry out” a legal document
Executor- The person named in a will to manage the estate of the person with dementia upon his
or her death
Grantor- The person for whom a living trust is created; for example, the grantor of the John W. Smith Living Trust is John W. Smith; also called a trustor
Guardian- The person appointed by the courts to make financial and/or health care decisions on behalf of the person with dementia; referred to as the conservator in some U.S. states
Health care agent- The person given legal authority to make health care decisions for the person with dementia (principal) through a power of attorney for health care document; usually a trusted family member or friend
Legal capacity- The level of judgment and decision-making ability needed to sign official documents
Principal- The person with dementia who, through a power of attorney document, legally chooses an individual to make decisions on his or her behalf
Probate- The process used by the court to distribute the property of a person who has died
Summons- A notice to appear in court; delivered to the person with dementia when a petition of guardianship or conservatorship has been filed
Trustee- The individual or bank chosen to manage the property (assets) in the living trust of the person with dementia
Trustor- The person with dementia for whom a living trust is created; for example, the trustor of the John W. Smith Living Trust is John W. Smith; also called a grantor
Source: Alzheimer's Association
Related Article: Legal Planning for Dementia Patients
Legal Planning Tips for Your Aging Parent or Relative
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