McCathern partner Matthew Gilpin recently sent a letter to clients and friends of the firm about several ways that estate planning is of particular importance during the Coronavirus outbreak and some of the ways that he can assist families during this challenging and at times confusing period of time. We are sharing the full letter below:
Estate Planning: Families, Doctors and Covid-19
Clients and Colleagues,
While the Coronavirus pandemic is disrupting our lives, it is natural for our thoughts to shift away from work and towards the people who matter the most. Regardless of your particular business or industry, we all have family, friends, and relationships that are immensely important to us. With this in mind, I want to reach out to you about some of the services we provide at McCathern in the area of Estate Planning. While this area of planning for the future is always important, under the current circumstances it is likely on your mind more than usual and questions can arise that require expertise.
One issue is that doctors are often limited in what they can discuss about a person’s medical treatment. When somebody is hospitalized for COVID-19, medical professionals have guidance and rules that help them communicate with families. With that said, there are scenarios that can be problematic. If any of you have found it difficult to get information about a loved one, I can help. Also, being proactive can be a tremendous advantage. Let me speak with you about drafting a simple HIPAA release, Medical Power of Attorney, or similar document that can address these types of issues before they become a problem.
There are other estate planning measures that would be good to consider as well. I have many years of experience with wills, trusts, guardianships, asset protection, and related plans. Please don’t hesitate to give me a call if you would like to talk about how these tools might help protect your estate or plan for the future. We can use many different types of provisions in a will or various kinds of trusts to tailor an estate plan that fits your family’s specific needs.
I’m finding that while people are spending more time at home and in full preparation mode, now is a good time to talk about comprehensive estate planning as well. If you would like to discuss one particular goal or a full estate plan, I would consider it a privilege to help.
McCathern prides itself on strong relationships, and I’ve had the pleasure of helping many of you personally over the last couple years. For others, this may be our first correspondence. Regardless if you are someone I have had the pleasure of working with in the past or someone new, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to have a quick conversation about your personal circumstances. There are also methods of handling these projects by completely remote means. If there is anything we can do to assist, I’ve got the tools and know-how to get it done.
Thank you for your time and please stay safe.
Warm regards,
Matthew Gilpin
Partner – Estate & Probate Law
McCathern, PLLC
3710 Rawlins Street, Suite 1600
Dallas, TX 75219
mgilpin@mccathernlaw.com
214-741-2662