September 4, 2025 • 36 mins
Are you an athlete without a will or healthcare power of attorney? This episode breaks down estate planning for athletes—what you need, why DIY templates fall short, and how to protect your people and your gear. Attorney Erin Edgar (“The Caring Attorney”) shares the must-knows for cyclists, runners, triathletes, and active families—from emergency decisions to executor duties in North Carolina.
What you’ll learn:
- Why every athlete needs a will (even if you’re young and healthy)
- The difference between DIY forms and a customized plan
- Healthcare Power of Attorney, HIPAA releases, and medical directives for endurance athletes
- How to choose (and prepare) your executor and decision-makers
- What happens if you die without a will (NC intestacy basics)
- How to keep plans updated as life, training, and assets change
contact for Erin: https://erinedgarlegal.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
This is going to be kind of an interesting episode.
I've got my guest here, erinEdgar, and we are talking all
about legal issues, so let megive you some quick backgrounds
before Erin introduces herself.
So I had an aunt who passedaway a couple months ago and
through that process ofobtaining her will and the
(01:25):
ensuing things that are going onright now with extended family
that we maybe weren't very closeto, and all these other things
that are happening right now,I'm going wow, this is a very
important thing that probablynot a lot of people know about,
and, sure enough, I was havingthis discussion with some of my
athletes in our strength classand I was floored to find out
(01:49):
how many people either don'thave a will or don't know
anything about these things andare not prepared.
So I want to educate everyoneout there through Erin's
expertise.
So welcome, erin, I'm soexcited to have you here.
Thank you, chris, I'm soexcited to be here.
Yeah, so give us a little bitof background on how you fell
(02:13):
into this process and why thismatters.
I did fall into this.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I worked for a legal not-for-profit law firm for 11
years and did anything but thiswork.
We did public benefits, we didlike housing law, we did
foreclosures and landlord-tenantissues, and then my grandmother
died in 2018.
(02:42):
And her death, her will andeverything was a hot mess, not
because she didn't have one, butbecause she hadn't updated it
in 20, 25 years or so, and shegot sick and everyone who was
assigned in her documents noteven her will, but her other
documents to protect her duringher lifetime had died.
(03:06):
It was very sad, and so it wasvery difficult for the people
who were alive and were herclosest family to help her when
she needed it and also upon herdeath.
We thought she may have haddifferent inheritance intentions
, but we weren't sure, so we hadto abide by what was in her
will and her trust documents forthe family business, and that
(03:31):
caused some rifts and stress inthe family.
Fortunately, we were able towrap it up and it was
satisfactory for everyone, butemotionally it was very
difficult and I always knew thatI wanted to help my community,
which was why I was working forthe not-for-profit.
We were very community-orientedand when this happened in my
(03:53):
family, I made a commitment thatI still wanted to help my
community, and I wanted toensure that this kind of hot
mess hot legal mess did nothappen to families in my
community if I could help it,and so that is how I fell into
this work.
In 2020, with COVID looming,there was a point at which I,
(04:17):
like many people, went through avalues assessment and said
what's really important Ahelping my community and, b
helping my community in the waythat I am uniquely suited to do
so, based on my own experiences,and so that is when I started
my own law firm.
I realized that I cared a lotabout people, and so I began
(04:41):
calling myself the caringattorney and moving forward to
ensuring that the help that Igave to the people who came to
me was carefully constructed,was thorough and customized to
their own personal needs.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That's amazing, amazing.
So what I'm thinking and webrought this up before we were
recording is that now people aregoing to be like, oh, I just
need a will, let me Google howdo I do that, and a lot of
things are going to pop up, I'msure.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So what sets you apart from something like that
they can just execute online?
What is the whole process theygo through?
And I know it's pretty amazing,so tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Sure.
So you can go online and findall kinds of ways to just go
through this process.
We call it estate planningonline.
Get your will, get some, youknow HIPAA documents, some
healthcare power of attorney andwhatever.
Online, you can go to DaveRamsey's site.
(05:49):
You can go to LegalZoom website.
I'm telling you all thesethings so that you know that
that is out there and, at thesame time, it is really worth
your time and your treasure,which is a fancy way of saying
the expense of coming to anattorney such as myself and
asking questions.
(06:10):
Telling an attorney aboutyourself and asking the
questions to determine how aplan can be custom tailored to
your situation.
These online plans are not.
You go in and you say this ismy name, this is my spouse or
partner, these are my children,and you may not know whether or
(06:35):
not the will or the documentsyou construct are really the
right ones for you.
You may say, for instance, oh,I just want my assets divided
among my children.
That may not be the best planfor you based on your family
dynamics.
You may say, oh, I just want myhusband to handle my healthcare
(07:00):
decisions if I get into anemergency and go to the hospital
.
That again may not be the bestplan for you, given your
husband's emotional stability inthe face of a healthcare issue
that you're facing.
Maybe another family membercould be a better fit.
And so I always tell peoplethese documents are not about
(07:22):
you, they are about your family,they are about your team and
ensuring that you have the rightpeople in place to support you
and the attorney's job.
Well, we create all the legaldocuments and they say all the
legal things that we need themto say, creating them based on
(07:42):
your answers to a bunch ofcomputer generated questions.
The attorney's job is not onlyto create those documents but
also to guide you personallythrough a not only a series of
questions, but also a series ofcounseling.
I say legal counseling.
We're not therapists, but we'relegal counselors in the sense
(08:04):
of we know how to ask theprobing questions which
computers don't, to determinewho are the best people to be on
your team to help you do all ofthese really heavy, sometimes
uncomfortable tasks, to ensurethat not only are you supported
(08:24):
during your lifetime but alsothat your hard earned property
that you own at death.
Property is anything money,cars, land, clothes, anything
that you own at the time of yourdeath.
That your hard earned money,purchased for you, is given to
those that you love, is given toany charities that you support,
(08:48):
and these things change overtime.
And also that's an attorney'sjob to make sure your plans are
updated over time and to makesure that you have the right
team in place supporting you howyou would want and to acquaint
you with all the options thatare available to you, based on
your situation, and give youwhat you really want for your
(09:10):
intentions.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
That's great.
So tell us a little bit aboutyour process and how it's unique
, because I find thisfascinating about the way you do
things.
It's not just like you're goingon like you had described a
computer-generated form andfilling all these things out.
You're really asking some ofthose probing questions.
So can you give us maybe someexamples?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Absolutely, and I will say my process begins with
a computer-generated form, butit doesn't stop there.
So I offer people a 20-minuteit's called I call it a protect
you and yours consultation toget to know you, and many
attorneys actually they kind ofhand this off to their
paralegals or their assistantsto do because we're not asking
(09:55):
deep questions.
However, I really like to dothese myself because I find
getting to know you on apersonal level and becoming
acquainted with your personalconcerns, even on an initial
level, is very important to meand how I process information,
and also important to youbecause you get to know me as
(10:17):
well and we can determinewhether we're going to be a good
fit to work together.
I find that's very importantbecause some people respond
differently to our personalities, may not work together.
I find that's very importantbecause some people respond
differently to you know ourpersonalities may not work
together.
That is completely fine.
I am not attached to workingwith everyone who comes to me.
I want the personalities tomesh because I find that's very
(10:39):
important in our collaborationprocess, which is how I see this
work.
And then, if we agree to worktogether, my next step is a
two-hour paid consultation,which does begin with that
computer-generated questionnaire, because I need to know, in
order to design an estate planthat will be customized to you,
(11:03):
not only your contactinformation and your assets but
also the concerns that you have.
And I have places where you canput your own concerns if
they're not addressed.
And I like to have all of thatin one specific place, not only
for me during that consultation,but also for you to take with
(11:24):
you after that consultation, sothat consultation is a two-hour
deep dive into you, into yourcircumstances as they exist now,
into your history a little bit,and why you have the concerns
that you have, so that we candesign a plan that takes all of
(11:46):
this into account.
Again, your will is not justabout your assets.
Your planning is not just aboutthat, but, in my opinion, your
planning is about your values,any I call them intellectual and
spiritual assets, any wisdomthat you want to pass down to
future generations or to thepeople you care about, and also
(12:06):
supporting the people you careabout.
It is not just about yourchildren or your spouse, it's
about anyone that you care about, to let them know that they are
loved and supported.
And so during that consultationwe talk about all of that and
all of the values you have, evencauses you support and why so
(12:26):
that when we design your plan wecan take those into account.
So at the end of thatconsultation you have a choice,
and this is always the client'schoice.
We design the estate plan that Ihighly recommend for you.
We talk about if it's the oneyou want.
If there's some other thingsthat I did not include there,
(12:48):
they come up as well, and theseplans all include, like a will,
powers of attorney for yourhealthcare and finance, hipaa
documentation if you don'talready have that, and also any
trust planning that I thinkwould be right for you or that
you say that you want and I tellyou at the end of that meeting
or towards the end, you have achoice.
(13:10):
You can either purchase theseplanning packages, which are all
flat fees.
You know exactly what you'regetting, and if you decide you
don't want to purchase that, youcan go on your way knowing that
you have gotten valuableinformation from me in terms of
the estate plan that I recommendand you can take that with you
(13:30):
and hopefully act on it and goto the attorney that's right for
you and create that plan.
There are always things that,again, computers don't take into
account.
Even if you try really hard,they're not going to incorporate
value statements or anythinglike that in your planning for
your intentions, and so if youdecide to go forward, then we go
(13:52):
through what most attorneys gothrough the whole drafting,
signing.
We have some meetings where Iexplain things to you that I may
have uncovered, that I may haveneeded to include, or you get
also should you choose to readthrough the entire plan as it is
drafted before we sign it theopportunity to do so, with the
(14:14):
understanding that the processlengthens a little bit when we
do that, and I also want to befully transparent with people
and allow them to read throughthings.
I do not have a signing that alot of attorneys have, where
you're trying to ruffle througheverything and I'm trying to
explain things to you at thesigning.
When you're doing thisuncomfortable activity, you've
(14:34):
got notaries, you've gotwitnesses, you've got papers
flying around.
You don't want to have to havethe attorney explaining things
to you at the last minute, so Imake sure that's done beforehand
and then, when your documentsare signed and executed, I give
you a three ring bindercontaining everything so they're
not floating around in theenvelopes which a lot of
attorneys give you a file folder, an envelope and make sure
(14:56):
they're bound together andthey're bound in such a way that
you can take them out and takethem anywhere you need to go and
, depending on what you decide,we can either call it a day or
we can continue our relationship, which I believe is very
important to continue thatclient-attorney relationship,
because these plans are not setin stone.
(15:17):
They are dependent to someextent on the transitions that
you go through in life.
And so what if you know you getmarried?
What if you start needing someextra emergency planning,
because now you've taken on avery intense sport, for instance
, and you need special advice topeople who may find you in an
(15:42):
emergency, about who to contactand how, and that's not in your
initial plan.
Maybe you moved and we need toadjust things.
Those kinds of things I canhelp you with by reaching out to
you if there is a retainer forthat, reaching out to you every
so often and helping you to putthese new things together.
(16:03):
You change your mind aboutsomething, for instance.
Those things should bereflected in your plan and I
have a way to allow us to keepin touch to ensure that those
things are carried out.
So that in a very long windednutshell is my process.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
And you also will help execute some of these
things correct In terms of sotell us about that Cause.
It's like, okay, well, now Ihave this binder and then you
know, who do I tell, where do Ishare it?
Oh, what do I do with it?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Right.
So in the in you know, as thisprocess goes along, we talk very
much in detail about how do I,once these plans are executed
which is what we call signingthem what do I do with them, who
do I talk to, how do I have theconversation?
Because you know, we couldwrite down, we could write a
(16:55):
letter to the people that youappoint or you know, put on your
team to support them in knowingwhat to do.
And actually I do that, and Ialso give you some thoughts
about how to have theconversation with them, because,
while it is your decision, somepeople may be really
uncomfortable with doing that.
Because, while it is yourdecision, some people may be
(17:17):
really uncomfortable with doingthat and they may want a little
bit of guidance.
I remember, for instance, whenmy parents re-executed their
estate plan when they movedinitially to another state, I
was not old enough yet to takeon the responsibilities and they
didn't know whether they wantto give me that responsibility.
So they gave it to my cousininitially and he seemed to be a
(17:38):
very responsible person, andthen they talked to him about it
and he was kind of like I don'tknow whether I want to do this
or not.
And so they had that discussionwith him and eventually they
changed their minds and talkedto me about it and I said,
absolutely, there's nothing thatI would love more than
supporting my parents.
It's nothing that I would lovemore than supporting my parents.
It's an honor because, you know, parents don't want to burden
(18:00):
their children.
It was primarily their reason.
And I said, you know, it's anabsolute honor, I agreed and
then they changed it because wehad a conversation about it and
communicated about it.
So I give people thoughts onhow to have that conversation
with their loved ones, with theteam members that they appoint
to support them.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
That's really cool, and what's coming up for me is,
you know, similar situation withmy aunt passing away.
We had one of our clients whosefather recently passed away and
apparently he had most of histhings in order.
But some of these you know tobe, say, someone who actually
executes this will and hopefullyI'm saying that properly
(18:43):
there's a lot ofresponsibilities.
We actually had an employee ofours who was at the time in
school and in her early 20s andshe was blown away with how
difficult some of these thingsare, especially since, you know,
her father at the time, who hadpassed away, was not very well
organized.
So tell us a little bit aboutthat and how maybe it makes it
(19:07):
easier, perhaps or changes thestory right.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
So, yes, absolutely, and this is one of those
situations in which, especiallywith a younger person or persons
who have family members thatwere not well organized, when
they have papers just everywhere, this is one of those
situations in which an attorneycan be very helpful.
To people who have been named.
(19:32):
The signing of the documents isthe execution.
You know what happens after adeath is called the
administration.
So that's the process in whichyou know people take these to
the courthouse and they say thisperson died and what do we do
now?
And they get qualified as theadministrator or, as we call it
in North Carolina, the executor.
(19:53):
I should say disclaimeranything I talk about is true in
North Carolina and I'm notreally licensed to talk about
anything in another state, butthis is North Carolina specific.
Here the person can be veryoverwhelmed by these
responsibilities, and so that iswhere an attorney becomes
helpful.
If people come to me and signup and pay the lifelong
(20:18):
lawyering they pay for that thenone of the things that I offer
to their executor in other words, if 60-minute consultation,
which is when I can talk to thatperson about what their
(20:44):
responsibilities are, you know,again, we send them a letter.
We can do that.
You can have the conversationwith them about that while
you're living.
But then a death just reallyoverwhelms people.
It does things to people.
I mean like it's a scary timeand some of these, you know,
some administrators can lookback at that letter and say I
don't understand a word of this.
(21:04):
I thought I understood it, butnow it's too confusing.
They can go to an attorney andif you have hired me, for
instance, they would come to mebecause my name and firm are all
over the documents and say look, I'm really stressed out, what
can I do?
And in that case I can consultwith them and tell them this is
(21:25):
what the process is.
And then if they want to hireme, especially if their family
is really unorganized, theirperson who died then we can do
that.
We can go through the processtogether as far as they want.
Some people just hire me to dothe whole thing and then I do
that and I file paperwork ontheir behalf.
(21:46):
I help them put togetherinventories of what people owned
.
I help them sell or donatethings.
If they want my help with that.
Basically I'm just there forthem as a support for whatever
it is they need, but anattorney's help with an initial
consultation after death is verybeneficial, because the
courthouse just gives you alittle packet and then sends you
(22:06):
on your way and expects you todo everything that you need to
do, and an attorney will helpguide you.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
So what I'm hearing you say is how, in my mind, can
you be more organized so thatthere is less headache for your
loved ones afterwards?
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And that's really where you step in right.
Yes, that's where I step in.
I help people do more work onthe front end so their families
have less work to do on the backend.
I had a client who put that tome in that way once and I said
well, that's nicer than saying Ihelp people clean up a hot mess
, because really you didn'tintend to leave things in a mess
(22:47):
, but that's how it ends up Ifyou don't take the time and put
the energy and, yes, the moneyinto ensuring that your
intentions are all written downand your things are all
straightened out, because you'reworth it.
You're worth giving this giftof love and caring not only to
(23:09):
your family but also yourself,and this is, in a sense, a
statement of love to them, andthis is, in a sense, a statement
of love to them.
You're doing this so that theycan have less to deal with upon
your death, because they want toremember you from that vantage
point of love.
They want to have their owntime to grieve.
We're recognizing that theyneed to handle some things, and
you make sure that they handlethem in the ways that you would
(23:32):
want, because you've alreadywritten it down so, so yeah,
that's great things to thinkabout.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And as you're speaking, I'm thinking of all
like, okay, let's pretend I diedtomorrow, my name is on a house
, I have bicycles, I have bankaccounts, just trying to jog
people's memory of, like, whatare all the things that you own
and what would happen to all ofit?
Right, is there anything I'mmissing?
Speaker 2 (24:02):
All the things that you own, and what would happen
to all of it and all the peopleyou love whom you want to
provide for?
Who do you want to have amemory of you?
And when we leave behind I meanour bodies go away and, at the
same time, we.
And when we leave behind, Imean you know our bodies go away
and, at the same time, we havethings that we leave behind
property, jewelry, anything.
(24:22):
So do we want to leavesomething specifically to a
certain person or do we want toleave things to, you know, just
at large, a certain number ofpeople?
And if we want to leavesomething specifically to a
person, why do we want to dothat?
What is the intention behindthat?
Maybe she loved your let's makethis easy.
(24:43):
I know you're married, right?
Yes, chris.
So maybe you have a weddingring and a diamond engagement
ring that you want to keep inthe family and you want your
children.
You want to keep in the familyand you want your children.
Maybe, if you have a daughter,you want your daughter to
(25:03):
inherit that.
Maybe not to give to her toabuse as her engagement ring or
anything, but just because it'sa special thing and you want to
keep it in your family.
Whether or not that's true ornot is not necessarily important
here.
It's just a demonstration thatnot only do you just leave your
property to certain people incertain amounts, but your will
gives you the ability to giftthat to a specific person.
If you own a house, we want toknow who also lives in it,
(25:27):
because maybe you want to giftthat to someone, maybe you don't
really care, maybe you justwant it to be sold, maybe you
want your husband to continueliving in it and if it's not
titled properly, he won't beable to continue living in it
unless you say so.
And then what happens when yourhusband dies to that house?
(25:47):
What do you want to have happento it?
I know some people, for instance, I've had clients who say I
know my dad wanted to rent outthis.
I've had clients who say I knowmy dad wanted to rent out this
house to continue getting incomefrom it.
He wanted to turn his houseinto investment property.
Well, did he say that in hiswill?
For instance and some clientsthey do so that their will makes
(26:08):
clear what they wanted to havehappen.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
These are really great examples of things to get
people thinking so in NorthCarolina, if I didn't have a
will, or anybody out there doesnot have the will, what happens?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
to at least your stuff?
That is an excellent question.
So if somebody out theredoesn't have a will, what
happens to your stuff isdependent upon like laws that
the state has.
It's like a default estate planfor what happens to your stuff.
It's like a default estate planfor what happens to your stuff.
It's based on these sort ofmedieval legal principles that
(26:49):
were in good old England, inNorth Carolina, in England,
before we colonized the US.
In some states, believe it ornot, it's based on principles
from Spain and France, which wewill not get into here.
But what ends up happening isthat your spouse inherits a very
small amount.
This is contrary to what mostpeople expect.
(27:11):
Your spouse inherits some ofyour money and a portion of the
real estate that you owned onyour death, unless it's titled
properly.
So they inherit all of it.
Many people don't expect that.
They expect everything to go tothe person that they're married
to or, if they're not married,to their children, and it may or
may not do that, depending onwho's living at the time of your
(27:33):
own death.
So what happens to you may bedifferent than what happens to
somebody else down the street,and it can be seen as a little
bit random unless you understandthe history of it.
So it can feel arbitrary andsurprising for people.
And if, for instance, you havechildren, not all the children
(27:55):
may inherit unless they're, youknow, legally yours, in the
sense of their names are onbirth certificates that list you
.
I had a situation and I knowother attorneys have been in
this situation where likeclients come to them and say
well, I have a child that I knowis mine, but his name is not
listed on his birth certificatebecause his mother didn't know
(28:18):
who the father was and so we canaccount for that in a will.
And you can account for that ina situation where you don't
have a will but it requires alot of court process and the
family may or may not be able tomake that happen.
So, having that will, you cansay I want also to have X
(28:38):
considered as my child so that Xcan inherit for me.
Those are the kinds of thingsthat a will can open up to have
happen, whereas with no willeither they don't happen or
there's no process to be assuredthat they will happen.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Interesting.
So what's coming up for me iswhat if you've been divorced?
What if you have been livingwith someone and you're not
married and you sort of considerthem your partner but you're
not legally married?
What if you have stepchildren?
I'm assuming all of thesethings apply.
If you didn't have a will, thenthat's where it can get a
(29:15):
little messy.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
All of these things apply.
If you didn't have a will, allthese people would be ignored,
not necessarily your new spouse,but if you didn't have a will,
your partner, your life partner,would be ignored, unless they
had other inheritance rights,like to your retirement accounts
or your life insurance orsomething they would be mostly
ignored.
Your stepchildren wouldprobably be ignored unless,
(29:40):
again, they had beneficiaryrights to something else that
you had.
But for the most part, allthose people who are not
biological relations to you ortied to you in some legal way,
like marriage, would be ignored.
Wow, okay.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
So, even more important, to have all this
looked at.
The other thing I'm thinking of, especially since this, as a
dietician, this is somethingthat we are trained in in terms
of advanced directives.
You know, like whether somebodyis fed or not fed, depending on
their situation.
So I'm also thinking of a womanwho was in our community who
(30:16):
was struck by a car a few yearsago and I don't know what her
legal situation was, but has hadsome lasting brain injury
issues.
So you know, a lot of us areout cycling on the road or you
know, we drive cars.
I mean, there's 8 milliondifferent situations that we
could probably think of.
What are some of the hardquestions that you're asking
(30:40):
that we need to consider when itcomes to some of these things?
Because when I went throughthis process, I was like, oh my
gosh, I did not even think ofthat.
Wow, you know, in our headswe're like, oh yeah, if this
happens to me, I want that tohappen, but then the scenarios
just keep coming and they do,yeah, so tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
So, yes, this brings up a lot of things that are very
uncomfortable, like we don'tknow what's going to happen to
us from day to day.
Today, for instance, I'm notgoing anywhere, I'm staying at
home and working from home, buttomorrow I'm going like to eight
different places At least itfeels that way.
And what if I get into a carwreck tomorrow?
What would happen to me?
I'm in the hospital,unconscious, and if I have no
(31:21):
planning, who's going to make myemergency decisions?
I can't fill out a HIPAA formfor that hospital.
You know, a lot of times you dothat before an operation and
that puts that into place.
But if I don't have one for thehospital, I'm taken to.
Who's going to make decisionsabout my treatment?
Well, the hospital will, andthey'll make them based on their
policies that they have.
But what if I wanted differentdecisions?
(31:42):
Or what if they have a choice?
What do they do?
Well, they could ask my husband, but first, before they
contacted him, they'd have toknow that I was married to him.
What if I didn't have any ID onme?
And my ID doesn't necessarilysay I'm married to him, it just
says my name and my address?
They'd have to investigate andreally drill down who lives at
(32:03):
this property and ask all thesequestions and, honestly, do they
have time to do that so they'dmake a decision based on their
policies?
Maybe it wouldn't be the onethat I would want.
Your friend, for instance, hadto have probably really complex
surgery.
Did they know who to notifybefore any kind of complex
surgery?
(32:23):
I don't know, but those are thequestions that people need to
consider, especially if they'reathletes.
But if you're athletes andsomething happens to you and
you're alone, I was thinking youknow people who bike a lot.
They're on these biking trails.
Maybe they're not in a group,something happens to them, they
get in an accident.
Who's in their court to makethese decisions for them, or who
(32:46):
would they want contacted?
So, for starters, I wouldsuggest having a simple
emergency contact card in yourwallet or something that you
carry around, just to have aperson that you could contact.
Who would you want to rely on?
Who you trust and who loves youand finds you, but to tell the
(33:07):
whole world who you would wantto make these decisions.
(33:32):
What if you have to betransferred to different
hospitals?
You have different doctorsattending you.
That's the benefit of that typeof document and it's really
worthwhile having an attorneywalk you through what these
documents can and can't do,because the authority that you
give someone can be limitedaccording to what you want it to
be limited to.
(33:52):
But not everybody knows thatand, again, legalzoom won't tell
you that.
And even if it does tell youthat, you won't know the
limitations, probably, that youwant to give unless someone
walks you through scenarios ofwhat could happen if you
actually allow these things toplay out.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
So if somebody were to get this.
You know they're inspired.
Now they're like, okay, I'mgoing to fix this.
How do people get a hold of you?
What's that process?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
look like Sure.
So the link to my website is inthe show notes.
You can find out a lot aboutwhat I do there.
The best way for people to geta hold of me is either to email
me or to call me, and thatinformation is on my website and
will be in the show notes.
I trust you can also fill out acontact form and get a hold of
(34:41):
me that way and I respondrelatively quickly and we can
set up a mutual time to getconnected and go through the
complimentary consultationprocess.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Love that, so it sounds pretty easy, Erin the
caring attorney.
Awesome, all right, erin.
This has been a wealth ofknowledge.
Thank you so much for educatingus all on this process and how
we can better care for our lovedones.
It's been a pleasure to be here.
(35:20):
North Carolina.
Correct, absolutely Okay.
So all that information will bein the show notes.
She is very timely in herresponses, I can guarantee you
that.
So Erin is fantastic to workwith Erin Edgar.
Thank you so much for workingwith us.
Thank you, chris.
This is going to be kind of an interesting episode.
I've got my guest here, erinEdgar, and we are talking all
about legal issues, so let megive you some quick backgrounds
before Erin introduces herself.
So I had an aunt who passedaway a couple months ago and
through that process ofobtaining her will and the
(01:25):
ensuing things that are going onright now with extended family
that we maybe weren't very closeto, and all these other things
that are happening right now,I'm going wow, this is a very
important thing that probablynot a lot of people know about,
and, sure enough, I was havingthis discussion with some of my
athletes in our strength classand I was floored to find out
(01:49):
how many people either don'thave a will or don't know
anything about these things andare not prepared.
So I want to educate everyoneout there through Erin's
expertise.
So welcome, erin, I'm soexcited to have you here.
Thank you, chris, I'm soexcited to be here.
Yeah, so give us a little bitof background on how you fell
(02:13):
into this process and why thismatters.
I did fall into this.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
I worked for a legal not-for-profit law firm for 11
years and did anything but thiswork.
We did public benefits, we didlike housing law, we did
foreclosures and landlord-tenantissues, and then my grandmother
died in 2018.
(02:42):
And her death, her will andeverything was a hot mess, not
because she didn't have one, butbecause she hadn't updated it
in 20, 25 years or so, and shegot sick and everyone who was
assigned in her documents noteven her will, but her other
documents to protect her duringher lifetime had died.
(03:06):
It was very sad, and so it wasvery difficult for the people
who were alive and were herclosest family to help her when
she needed it and also upon herdeath.
We thought she may have haddifferent inheritance intentions
, but we weren't sure, so we hadto abide by what was in her
will and her trust documents forthe family business, and that
(03:31):
caused some rifts and stress inthe family.
Fortunately, we were able towrap it up and it was
satisfactory for everyone, butemotionally it was very
difficult and I always knew thatI wanted to help my community,
which was why I was working forthe not-for-profit.
We were very community-orientedand when this happened in my
(03:53):
family, I made a commitment thatI still wanted to help my
community, and I wanted toensure that this kind of hot
mess hot legal mess did nothappen to families in my
community if I could help it,and so that is how I fell into
this work.
In 2020, with COVID looming,there was a point at which I,
(04:17):
like many people, went through avalues assessment and said
what's really important Ahelping my community and, b
helping my community in the waythat I am uniquely suited to do
so, based on my own experiences,and so that is when I started
my own law firm.
I realized that I cared a lotabout people, and so I began
(04:41):
calling myself the caringattorney and moving forward to
ensuring that the help that Igave to the people who came to
me was carefully constructed,was thorough and customized to
their own personal needs.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
That's amazing, amazing.
So what I'm thinking and webrought this up before we were
recording is that now people aregoing to be like, oh, I just
need a will, let me Google howdo I do that, and a lot of
things are going to pop up, I'msure.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So what sets you apart from something like that
they can just execute online?
What is the whole process theygo through?
And I know it's pretty amazing,so tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Sure.
So you can go online and findall kinds of ways to just go
through this process.
We call it estate planningonline.
Get your will, get some, youknow HIPAA documents, some
healthcare power of attorney andwhatever.
Online, you can go to DaveRamsey's site.
(05:49):
You can go to LegalZoom website.
I'm telling you all thesethings so that you know that
that is out there and, at thesame time, it is really worth
your time and your treasure,which is a fancy way of saying
the expense of coming to anattorney such as myself and
asking questions.
(06:10):
Telling an attorney aboutyourself and asking the
questions to determine how aplan can be custom tailored to
your situation.
These online plans are not.
You go in and you say this ismy name, this is my spouse or
partner, these are my children,and you may not know whether or
(06:35):
not the will or the documentsyou construct are really the
right ones for you.
You may say, for instance, oh,I just want my assets divided
among my children.
That may not be the best planfor you based on your family
dynamics.
You may say, oh, I just want myhusband to handle my healthcare
(07:00):
decisions if I get into anemergency and go to the hospital
.
That again may not be the bestplan for you, given your
husband's emotional stability inthe face of a healthcare issue
that you're facing.
Maybe another family membercould be a better fit.
And so I always tell peoplethese documents are not about
(07:22):
you, they are about your family,they are about your team and
ensuring that you have the rightpeople in place to support you
and the attorney's job.
Well, we create all the legaldocuments and they say all the
legal things that we need themto say, creating them based on
(07:42):
your answers to a bunch ofcomputer generated questions.
The attorney's job is not onlyto create those documents but
also to guide you personallythrough a not only a series of
questions, but also a series ofcounseling.
I say legal counseling.
We're not therapists, but we'relegal counselors in the sense
(08:04):
of we know how to ask theprobing questions which
computers don't, to determinewho are the best people to be on
your team to help you do all ofthese really heavy, sometimes
uncomfortable tasks, to ensurethat not only are you supported
(08:24):
during your lifetime but alsothat your hard earned property
that you own at death.
Property is anything money,cars, land, clothes, anything
that you own at the time of yourdeath.
That your hard earned money,purchased for you, is given to
those that you love, is given toany charities that you support,
(08:48):
and these things change overtime.
And also that's an attorney'sjob to make sure your plans are
updated over time and to makesure that you have the right
team in place supporting you howyou would want and to acquaint
you with all the options thatare available to you, based on
your situation, and give youwhat you really want for your
(09:10):
intentions.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
That's great.
So tell us a little bit aboutyour process and how it's unique
, because I find thisfascinating about the way you do
things.
It's not just like you're goingon like you had described a
computer-generated form andfilling all these things out.
You're really asking some ofthose probing questions.
So can you give us maybe someexamples?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Absolutely, and I will say my process begins with
a computer-generated form, butit doesn't stop there.
So I offer people a 20-minuteit's called I call it a protect
you and yours consultation toget to know you, and many
attorneys actually they kind ofhand this off to their
paralegals or their assistantsto do because we're not asking
(09:55):
deep questions.
However, I really like to dothese myself because I find
getting to know you on apersonal level and becoming
acquainted with your personalconcerns, even on an initial
level, is very important to meand how I process information,
and also important to youbecause you get to know me as
(10:17):
well and we can determinewhether we're going to be a good
fit to work together.
I find that's very importantbecause some people respond
differently to our personalities, may not work together.
I find that's very importantbecause some people respond
differently to you know ourpersonalities may not work
together.
That is completely fine.
I am not attached to workingwith everyone who comes to me.
I want the personalities tomesh because I find that's very
(10:39):
important in our collaborationprocess, which is how I see this
work.
And then, if we agree to worktogether, my next step is a
two-hour paid consultation,which does begin with that
computer-generated questionnaire, because I need to know, in
order to design an estate planthat will be customized to you,
(11:03):
not only your contactinformation and your assets but
also the concerns that you have.
And I have places where you canput your own concerns if
they're not addressed.
And I like to have all of thatin one specific place, not only
for me during that consultation,but also for you to take with
(11:24):
you after that consultation, sothat consultation is a two-hour
deep dive into you, into yourcircumstances as they exist now,
into your history a little bit,and why you have the concerns
that you have, so that we candesign a plan that takes all of
(11:46):
this into account.
Again, your will is not justabout your assets.
Your planning is not just aboutthat, but, in my opinion, your
planning is about your values,any I call them intellectual and
spiritual assets, any wisdomthat you want to pass down to
future generations or to thepeople you care about, and also
(12:06):
supporting the people you careabout.
It is not just about yourchildren or your spouse, it's
about anyone that you care about, to let them know that they are
loved and supported.
And so during that consultationwe talk about all of that and
all of the values you have, evencauses you support and why so
(12:26):
that when we design your plan wecan take those into account.
So at the end of thatconsultation you have a choice,
and this is always the client'schoice.
We design the estate plan that Ihighly recommend for you.
We talk about if it's the oneyou want.
If there's some other thingsthat I did not include there,
(12:48):
they come up as well, and theseplans all include, like a will,
powers of attorney for yourhealthcare and finance, hipaa
documentation if you don'talready have that, and also any
trust planning that I thinkwould be right for you or that
you say that you want and I tellyou at the end of that meeting
or towards the end, you have achoice.
(13:10):
You can either purchase theseplanning packages, which are all
flat fees.
You know exactly what you'regetting, and if you decide you
don't want to purchase that, youcan go on your way knowing that
you have gotten valuableinformation from me in terms of
the estate plan that I recommendand you can take that with you
(13:30):
and hopefully act on it and goto the attorney that's right for
you and create that plan.
There are always things that,again, computers don't take into
account.
Even if you try really hard,they're not going to incorporate
value statements or anythinglike that in your planning for
your intentions, and so if youdecide to go forward, then we go
(13:52):
through what most attorneys gothrough the whole drafting,
signing.
We have some meetings where Iexplain things to you that I may
have uncovered, that I may haveneeded to include, or you get
also should you choose to readthrough the entire plan as it is
drafted before we sign it theopportunity to do so, with the
(14:14):
understanding that the processlengthens a little bit when we
do that, and I also want to befully transparent with people
and allow them to read throughthings.
I do not have a signing that alot of attorneys have, where
you're trying to ruffle througheverything and I'm trying to
explain things to you at thesigning.
When you're doing thisuncomfortable activity, you've
(14:34):
got notaries, you've gotwitnesses, you've got papers
flying around.
You don't want to have to havethe attorney explaining things
to you at the last minute, so Imake sure that's done beforehand
and then, when your documentsare signed and executed, I give
you a three ring bindercontaining everything so they're
not floating around in theenvelopes which a lot of
attorneys give you a file folder, an envelope and make sure
(14:56):
they're bound together andthey're bound in such a way that
you can take them out and takethem anywhere you need to go and
, depending on what you decide,we can either call it a day or
we can continue our relationship, which I believe is very
important to continue thatclient-attorney relationship,
because these plans are not setin stone.
(15:17):
They are dependent to someextent on the transitions that
you go through in life.
And so what if you know you getmarried?
What if you start needing someextra emergency planning,
because now you've taken on avery intense sport, for instance
, and you need special advice topeople who may find you in an
(15:42):
emergency, about who to contactand how, and that's not in your
initial plan.
Maybe you moved and we need toadjust things.
Those kinds of things I canhelp you with by reaching out to
you if there is a retainer forthat, reaching out to you every
so often and helping you to putthese new things together.
(16:03):
You change your mind aboutsomething, for instance.
Those things should bereflected in your plan and I
have a way to allow us to keepin touch to ensure that those
things are carried out.
So that in a very long windednutshell is my process.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
And you also will help execute some of these
things correct In terms of sotell us about that Cause.
It's like, okay, well, now Ihave this binder and then you
know, who do I tell, where do Ishare it?
Oh, what do I do with it?
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Right.
So in the in you know, as thisprocess goes along, we talk very
much in detail about how do I,once these plans are executed
which is what we call signingthem what do I do with them, who
do I talk to, how do I have theconversation?
Because you know, we couldwrite down, we could write a
(16:55):
letter to the people that youappoint or you know, put on your
team to support them in knowingwhat to do.
And actually I do that, and Ialso give you some thoughts
about how to have theconversation with them, because,
while it is your decision, somepeople may be really
uncomfortable with doing that.
Because, while it is yourdecision, some people may be
(17:17):
really uncomfortable with doingthat and they may want a little
bit of guidance.
I remember, for instance, whenmy parents re-executed their
estate plan when they movedinitially to another state, I
was not old enough yet to takeon the responsibilities and they
didn't know whether they wantto give me that responsibility.
So they gave it to my cousininitially and he seemed to be a
(17:38):
very responsible person, andthen they talked to him about it
and he was kind of like I don'tknow whether I want to do this
or not.
And so they had that discussionwith him and eventually they
changed their minds and talkedto me about it and I said,
absolutely, there's nothing thatI would love more than
supporting my parents.
It's nothing that I would lovemore than supporting my parents.
It's an honor because, you know, parents don't want to burden
(18:00):
their children.
It was primarily their reason.
And I said, you know, it's anabsolute honor, I agreed and
then they changed it because wehad a conversation about it and
communicated about it.
So I give people thoughts onhow to have that conversation
with their loved ones, with theteam members that they appoint
to support them.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
That's really cool, and what's coming up for me is,
you know, similar situation withmy aunt passing away.
We had one of our clients whosefather recently passed away and
apparently he had most of histhings in order.
But some of these you know tobe, say, someone who actually
executes this will and hopefullyI'm saying that properly
(18:43):
there's a lot ofresponsibilities.
We actually had an employee ofours who was at the time in
school and in her early 20s andshe was blown away with how
difficult some of these thingsare, especially since, you know,
her father at the time, who hadpassed away, was not very well
organized.
So tell us a little bit aboutthat and how maybe it makes it
(19:07):
easier, perhaps or changes thestory right.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
So, yes, absolutely, and this is one of those
situations in which, especiallywith a younger person or persons
who have family members thatwere not well organized, when
they have papers just everywhere, this is one of those
situations in which an attorneycan be very helpful.
To people who have been named.
(19:32):
The signing of the documents isthe execution.
You know what happens after adeath is called the
administration.
So that's the process in whichyou know people take these to
the courthouse and they say thisperson died and what do we do
now?
And they get qualified as theadministrator or, as we call it
in North Carolina, the executor.
(19:53):
I should say disclaimeranything I talk about is true in
North Carolina and I'm notreally licensed to talk about
anything in another state, butthis is North Carolina specific.
Here the person can be veryoverwhelmed by these
responsibilities, and so that iswhere an attorney becomes
helpful.
If people come to me and signup and pay the lifelong
(20:18):
lawyering they pay for that thenone of the things that I offer
to their executor in other words, if 60-minute consultation,
which is when I can talk to thatperson about what their
(20:44):
responsibilities are, you know,again, we send them a letter.
We can do that.
You can have the conversationwith them about that while
you're living.
But then a death just reallyoverwhelms people.
It does things to people.
I mean like it's a scary timeand some of these, you know,
some administrators can lookback at that letter and say I
don't understand a word of this.
(21:04):
I thought I understood it, butnow it's too confusing.
They can go to an attorney andif you have hired me, for
instance, they would come to mebecause my name and firm are all
over the documents and say look, I'm really stressed out, what
can I do?
And in that case I can consultwith them and tell them this is
(21:25):
what the process is.
And then if they want to hireme, especially if their family
is really unorganized, theirperson who died then we can do
that.
We can go through the processtogether as far as they want.
Some people just hire me to dothe whole thing and then I do
that and I file paperwork ontheir behalf.
(21:46):
I help them put togetherinventories of what people owned
.
I help them sell or donatethings.
If they want my help with that.
Basically I'm just there forthem as a support for whatever
it is they need, but anattorney's help with an initial
consultation after death is verybeneficial, because the
courthouse just gives you alittle packet and then sends you
(22:06):
on your way and expects you todo everything that you need to
do, and an attorney will helpguide you.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
So what I'm hearing you say is how, in my mind, can
you be more organized so thatthere is less headache for your
loved ones afterwards?
Speaker 2 (22:24):
And that's really where you step in right.
Yes, that's where I step in.
I help people do more work onthe front end so their families
have less work to do on the backend.
I had a client who put that tome in that way once and I said
well, that's nicer than saying Ihelp people clean up a hot mess
, because really you didn'tintend to leave things in a mess
(22:47):
, but that's how it ends up Ifyou don't take the time and put
the energy and, yes, the moneyinto ensuring that your
intentions are all written downand your things are all
straightened out, because you'reworth it.
You're worth giving this giftof love and caring not only to
(23:09):
your family but also yourself,and this is, in a sense, a
statement of love to them, andthis is, in a sense, a statement
of love to them.
You're doing this so that theycan have less to deal with upon
your death, because they want toremember you from that vantage
point of love.
They want to have their owntime to grieve.
We're recognizing that theyneed to handle some things, and
you make sure that they handlethem in the ways that you would
(23:32):
want, because you've alreadywritten it down so, so yeah,
that's great things to thinkabout.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
And as you're speaking, I'm thinking of all
like, okay, let's pretend I diedtomorrow, my name is on a house
, I have bicycles, I have bankaccounts, just trying to jog
people's memory of, like, whatare all the things that you own
and what would happen to all ofit?
Right, is there anything I'mmissing?
Speaker 2 (24:02):
All the things that you own, and what would happen
to all of it and all the peopleyou love whom you want to
provide for?
Who do you want to have amemory of you?
And when we leave behind I meanour bodies go away and, at the
same time, we.
And when we leave behind, Imean you know our bodies go away
and, at the same time, we havethings that we leave behind
property, jewelry, anything.
(24:22):
So do we want to leavesomething specifically to a
certain person or do we want toleave things to, you know, just
at large, a certain number ofpeople?
And if we want to leavesomething specifically to a
person, why do we want to dothat?
What is the intention behindthat?
Maybe she loved your let's makethis easy.
(24:43):
I know you're married, right?
Yes, chris.
So maybe you have a weddingring and a diamond engagement
ring that you want to keep inthe family and you want your
children.
You want to keep in the familyand you want your children.
Maybe, if you have a daughter,you want your daughter to
(25:03):
inherit that.
Maybe not to give to her toabuse as her engagement ring or
anything, but just because it'sa special thing and you want to
keep it in your family.
Whether or not that's true ornot is not necessarily important
here.
It's just a demonstration thatnot only do you just leave your
property to certain people incertain amounts, but your will
gives you the ability to giftthat to a specific person.
If you own a house, we want toknow who also lives in it,
(25:27):
because maybe you want to giftthat to someone, maybe you don't
really care, maybe you justwant it to be sold, maybe you
want your husband to continueliving in it and if it's not
titled properly, he won't beable to continue living in it
unless you say so.
And then what happens when yourhusband dies to that house?
(25:47):
What do you want to have happento it?
I know some people, for instance, I've had clients who say I
know my dad wanted to rent outthis.
I've had clients who say I knowmy dad wanted to rent out this
house to continue getting incomefrom it.
He wanted to turn his houseinto investment property.
Well, did he say that in hiswill?
For instance and some clientsthey do so that their will makes
(26:08):
clear what they wanted to havehappen.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
These are really great examples of things to get
people thinking so in NorthCarolina, if I didn't have a
will, or anybody out there doesnot have the will, what happens?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
to at least your stuff?
That is an excellent question.
So if somebody out theredoesn't have a will, what
happens to your stuff isdependent upon like laws that
the state has.
It's like a default estate planfor what happens to your stuff.
It's like a default estate planfor what happens to your stuff.
It's based on these sort ofmedieval legal principles that
(26:49):
were in good old England, inNorth Carolina, in England,
before we colonized the US.
In some states, believe it ornot, it's based on principles
from Spain and France, which wewill not get into here.
But what ends up happening isthat your spouse inherits a very
small amount.
This is contrary to what mostpeople expect.
(27:11):
Your spouse inherits some ofyour money and a portion of the
real estate that you owned onyour death, unless it's titled
properly.
So they inherit all of it.
Many people don't expect that.
They expect everything to go tothe person that they're married
to or, if they're not married,to their children, and it may or
may not do that, depending onwho's living at the time of your
(27:33):
own death.
So what happens to you may bedifferent than what happens to
somebody else down the street,and it can be seen as a little
bit random unless you understandthe history of it.
So it can feel arbitrary andsurprising for people.
And if, for instance, you havechildren, not all the children
(27:55):
may inherit unless they're, youknow, legally yours, in the
sense of their names are onbirth certificates that list you
.
I had a situation and I knowother attorneys have been in
this situation where likeclients come to them and say
well, I have a child that I knowis mine, but his name is not
listed on his birth certificatebecause his mother didn't know
(28:18):
who the father was and so we canaccount for that in a will.
And you can account for that ina situation where you don't
have a will but it requires alot of court process and the
family may or may not be able tomake that happen.
So, having that will, you cansay I want also to have X
(28:38):
considered as my child so that Xcan inherit for me.
Those are the kinds of thingsthat a will can open up to have
happen, whereas with no willeither they don't happen or
there's no process to be assuredthat they will happen.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Interesting.
So what's coming up for me iswhat if you've been divorced?
What if you have been livingwith someone and you're not
married and you sort of considerthem your partner but you're
not legally married?
What if you have stepchildren?
I'm assuming all of thesethings apply.
If you didn't have a will, thenthat's where it can get a
(29:15):
little messy.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
All of these things apply.
If you didn't have a will, allthese people would be ignored,
not necessarily your new spouse,but if you didn't have a will,
your partner, your life partner,would be ignored, unless they
had other inheritance rights,like to your retirement accounts
or your life insurance orsomething they would be mostly
ignored.
Your stepchildren wouldprobably be ignored unless,
(29:40):
again, they had beneficiaryrights to something else that
you had.
But for the most part, allthose people who are not
biological relations to you ortied to you in some legal way,
like marriage, would be ignored.
Wow, okay.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
So, even more important, to have all this
looked at.
The other thing I'm thinking of, especially since this, as a
dietician, this is somethingthat we are trained in in terms
of advanced directives.
You know, like whether somebodyis fed or not fed, depending on
their situation.
So I'm also thinking of a womanwho was in our community who
(30:16):
was struck by a car a few yearsago and I don't know what her
legal situation was, but has hadsome lasting brain injury
issues.
So you know, a lot of us areout cycling on the road or you
know, we drive cars.
I mean, there's 8 milliondifferent situations that we
could probably think of.
What are some of the hardquestions that you're asking
(30:40):
that we need to consider when itcomes to some of these things?
Because when I went throughthis process, I was like, oh my
gosh, I did not even think ofthat.
Wow, you know, in our headswe're like, oh yeah, if this
happens to me, I want that tohappen, but then the scenarios
just keep coming and they do,yeah, so tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
So, yes, this brings up a lot of things that are very
uncomfortable, like we don'tknow what's going to happen to
us from day to day.
Today, for instance, I'm notgoing anywhere, I'm staying at
home and working from home, buttomorrow I'm going like to eight
different places At least itfeels that way.
And what if I get into a carwreck tomorrow?
What would happen to me?
I'm in the hospital,unconscious, and if I have no
(31:21):
planning, who's going to make myemergency decisions?
I can't fill out a HIPAA formfor that hospital.
You know, a lot of times you dothat before an operation and
that puts that into place.
But if I don't have one for thehospital, I'm taken to.
Who's going to make decisionsabout my treatment?
Well, the hospital will, andthey'll make them based on their
policies that they have.
But what if I wanted differentdecisions?
(31:42):
Or what if they have a choice?
What do they do?
Well, they could ask my husband, but first, before they
contacted him, they'd have toknow that I was married to him.
What if I didn't have any ID onme?
And my ID doesn't necessarilysay I'm married to him, it just
says my name and my address?
They'd have to investigate andreally drill down who lives at
(32:03):
this property and ask all thesequestions and, honestly, do they
have time to do that so they'dmake a decision based on their
policies?
Maybe it wouldn't be the onethat I would want.
Your friend, for instance, hadto have probably really complex
surgery.
Did they know who to notifybefore any kind of complex
surgery?
(32:23):
I don't know, but those are thequestions that people need to
consider, especially if they'reathletes.
But if you're athletes andsomething happens to you and
you're alone, I was thinking youknow people who bike a lot.
They're on these biking trails.
Maybe they're not in a group,something happens to them, they
get in an accident.
Who's in their court to makethese decisions for them, or who
(32:46):
would they want contacted?
So, for starters, I wouldsuggest having a simple
emergency contact card in yourwallet or something that you
carry around, just to have aperson that you could contact.
Who would you want to rely on?
Who you trust and who loves youand finds you, but to tell the
(33:07):
whole world who you would wantto make these decisions.
(33:32):
What if you have to betransferred to different
hospitals?
You have different doctorsattending you.
That's the benefit of that typeof document and it's really
worthwhile having an attorneywalk you through what these
documents can and can't do,because the authority that you
give someone can be limitedaccording to what you want it to
be limited to.
(33:52):
But not everybody knows thatand, again, legalzoom won't tell
you that.
And even if it does tell youthat, you won't know the
limitations, probably, that youwant to give unless someone
walks you through scenarios ofwhat could happen if you
actually allow these things toplay out.
Wow.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
So if somebody were to get this.
You know they're inspired.
Now they're like, okay, I'mgoing to fix this.
How do people get a hold of you?
What's that process?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
look like Sure.
So the link to my website is inthe show notes.
You can find out a lot aboutwhat I do there.
The best way for people to geta hold of me is either to email
me or to call me, and thatinformation is on my website and
will be in the show notes.
I trust you can also fill out acontact form and get a hold of
(34:41):
me that way and I respondrelatively quickly and we can
set up a mutual time to getconnected and go through the
complimentary consultationprocess.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
Love that, so it sounds pretty easy, Erin the
caring attorney.
Awesome, all right, erin.
This has been a wealth ofknowledge.
Thank you so much for educatingus all on this process and how
we can better care for our lovedones.
It's been a pleasure to be here.
(35:20):
North Carolina.
Correct, absolutely Okay.
So all that information will bein the show notes.
She is very timely in herresponses, I can guarantee you
that.
So Erin is fantastic to workwith Erin Edgar.
Thank you so much for workingwith us.
Thank you, chris.
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