Five Must-Have Legal Documents

Navigating the legal dimension of life’s events

By Henry Baskin | Reviewed by Canaan Suitt, J.D. | Last updated on December 12, 2023

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1. Your Last Will and Testament

Many attorneys place a will at the top of their list of essential documents.

Anyone with real estate or other property, minor children, or assets needs a will. In the document, you will appoint a personal representative (also called an executor) to oversee the distribution of your assets to named beneficiaries per the will’s instructions. Living trusts and other estate planning documents can also be used to avoid probate court.

2. Living Will/Healthcare Directive

An advance healthcare directive allows you to dictate in advance what type of medical treatment you do (and do not) wish to receive should you become incapacitated.

3. Durable Power of Attorney (POA)

The POA document gives a person you choose the authority to represent you in legal, financial, or medical decisions should you become incapacitated.

4. Babysitter Authorization

Parents who regularly leave children with a care provider or family member should have a lawyer prepare an authorization form giving the caretaker power to authorize emergency care for the child in the parent’s absence. “With the advent of HIPPA and medical malpractice suits, doctors and hospitals are reluctant to treat children in the absence of their parents,” says Michigan family law attorney Henry Baskin.

5. Prenuptial Agreement

By the time many individuals get married, they have probably accumulated assets. If so, Baskin advises them to have a lawyer prepare a prenup to minimize acrimony in case of a divorce.

If you’d like to have one or more of these important legal documents, seek legal advice from an experienced attorney at a law firm in your area. For more information on the role of an attorney, see our general litigation overview and related legal content.

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