Congratulations. You’ve taken an important step in protecting yourself and your loved ones by completing your estate planning documents—your Will or Trust, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Living Will, HIPAA Authorization, and Financial Power of Attorney. These documents form the foundation of your plan.
But here’s a critical question:
What are you going to do next?
Why Finalizing Documents Isn’t the Final Step
It’s a common misconception that once your estate planning documents are signed and neatly filed away, your job is done. The truth is: your plan only works if the people you’ve appointed know they’ve been appointed.
Think of it this way:
You wouldn’t assign someone to a job without telling them about it, right? The same logic applies here. Your executor, trustee, healthcare agent, or financial agent can’t step in and help if they don’t know:
- That they’ve been chosen;
- Where your documents are; and
- What you want them to do.
Without that knowledge, even the most carefully drafted plan can fail when it’s needed most.
Common Mistake: Hiding Estate Documents
Too often, people place their estate planning documents in a safe, drawer, or digital vault—and tell no one. That might feel secure, but if your key decision-makers don’t know about the documents or how to access them, your plan could be completely ineffective.
Let’s consider a simple example:
You’ve named your sister as your healthcare power of attorney. But in an emergency, she’s unaware of this responsibility. Doctors ask your spouse, who has no legal authority, and decisions are delayed.
The result? Stress, confusion, and potentially outcomes that don’t reflect your wishes.
Don’t Just Plan—Communicate
When you work with our firm, you’re not just getting documents—you’re getting a complete plan and the guidance to make sure it works.
At Sabrina Winters, Attorney at Law, PLLC, we walk you through:
- How to choose the right people for your estate roles
- How to have meaningful conversations with those individuals
- How to ask them if they’re willing and able to act on your behalf
- How to store and share your plan in a way that’s both secure and accessible
This step is just as vital as the paperwork itself.
A Simple Checklist
If your estate plan is already completed, make sure you’ve done the following:
✅ 1. Inform All Key Individuals
- Executor
- Trustee (if applicable)
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- HIPAA Agent
✅ 2. Review Your Documents Together
Have a conversation with each person about their role. Make sure they understand when they may be called upon and what their responsibilities will be.
✅ 3. Store Your Documents Accessibly
Let someone know:
- Where the documents are stored
- How to access them (e.g., passwords, safe codes, attorney’s contact info)
Why This Matters in North Carolina
Here in Charlotte and surrounding North Carolina communities, estate planning isn’t just about forms—it’s about protecting real people, real families, and real futures. Emergencies happen. And when they do, the last thing your family needs is confusion, conflict, or missing documents.
Make Sure Your Plan Actually Works
At Sabrina Winters, Attorney at Law, PLLC, we help clients do more than sign papers—we help them build lasting peace of mind. If you’ve already completed your documents but haven’t had those important conversations yet, we’re ready to walk you through the next steps.
📞 Call us today at +1 (704) 843-1446
🌐 Visit us online at sabrinawinterslaw.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @estatelawyernc