The Legal Planning You Need to Do for Your High School Graduate

The Legal Planning You Need to Do for Your High School Graduate

If you’re the parent of a high school graduate this year, congratulations!  You’ve put in a lot of time and effort toward their earning that diploma, and whatever their next step in life will be, you likely want to protect them just as much as you did while they were still in high school.

But before you pack that kid off to college or just an apartment across town, you need to know that when they leave, they will be taking some of the legal rights you had before they turned 18 with them. 

Once a child turns 18, they are no longer considered a child in the eyes of the law.  And you no longer have the legal right to access their health care, school, or banking records without their permission.  Here are some steps you should take before your child leaves the nest that will help ensure your peace of mind and their safety:

Create an advance healthcare directive.  Once your child is officially an adult, they need to have an advance healthcare directive that will allow you to access their medical records and make medical decisions for them in case they become incapacitated.  This is essential in case of an emergency.  They will also need to sign a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) form that allows medical professionals to share information with you. 

Use technology.  The American Bar Association recently released a free app for iPhone and Android that allows you to store an advance directive and other important documents on a smartphone and is available from the iPhone App Store or on Google Play for Android devices.  

Add a Guardian Guide Emergency ID Card to your child’s wallet. Add a Guardian Guide Emergency ID Card to your child’s wallet that lists your contact information as their ICE (in case of emergency) listing in case first responders or caregivers cannot get into their locked phone or cannot locate their phone in an accident. Most first responders will look for a wallet and ID to be able to talk to a patient by name. When they look for their ID, they should see this card directly behind it. 

This article is a service of Sarah Breiner, Personal Family Lawyer®. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love.  That's why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session,™ during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. What is a Personal Family Lawyer®? A lawyer who develops trusting relationships with families for life.

You can begin by contacting Sarah today to schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session.