Here in South Texas we are beginning to clean up and re-group. Many, many people had to flee their homes. When doing so, few will have remembered to grab their original wills, powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, advance directives, or nomination of guardian documents. These documents were simply not crucial when lives are at stake.
But now that the rain has stopped and the waters will be receding, it is important to know where these original documents are located. While many law offices will have copies, the old time practice of keeping the originals for a client has largely passed us by. So, do not assume that your lawyer has the documents and you are just fine. Make sure that whatever your lawyer has it will suffice if needed.
Remember, you cannot make these documents new by writing over, scratching out, updating dates, etc. You either have the original or you do not. If you do not, you will need to re-execute these documents. Fortunately, most lawyers these days keep electronic originals of the documents they have created so in many cases you will only have to make an appointment to re-execute the documents and no drafting may be needed. At our law firm, we will re-execute any document lost in Harvey without charge.
This article is written by an attorney at Wyatt & Mirabella, PC. Always consult an attorney before making any legal decisions. To make an appointment today for a free consultation, please click here to contact us.