Legal
Before Surgery
Work benefit: If you or your spouse have access to a legal services benefit through work, consider signing up during enrollment. It's a valuable option to have through this journey. Here is a list of things we used it for:
General Durable Power of Attorney - I scheduled an appointment with my lawyer on December 11, 2023, to write up the Quit Claim Deed and Power of Attorney (POA). This gave me the ability to make decisions on Raylynn’s behalf which proved invaluable when her health declined and she became incoherent. The POA allowed me to communicate directly with her insurance company on December 22, 2023, submitting requests on her behalf such as the official insurance approval for transplant letter. This allowed her to officially be placed on the transplant list on December 23, 2023. This was especially crucial as we approached Christmas with limited staff available. This proactive step may have saved her life.
Quit Claim Deed - When we divorced in April 2020, I put my half of the house in a trust (which would protect me and my property if anything happened where someone legally came after Raylynn and her portion of the house). Raylynn was supposed to create a Will. We always wanted to ensure the other would receive the house if the other person died, but Raylynn never got around to creating her Will. The reason this was important is we were no longer legally bound to one another and if she died her half of the house would legally go to both parents, one that she chooses “No Contact” and having the house legally go to that person would be against everything she wanted. If the worst case scenario happened, she wanted to make sure I had legal ownership of her portion of the house. I have since placed her portion of the house under my trust and would be paid off if I were to die and a fund created to pay all yearly taxes to ensure she would always have a place to live if I end up dying before her. Many people are astounded that we still care for each other and want what is best for one another. We have always tried to think long term and always had each other’s best interest at heart.