From the desk of Darlynn Morgan, Orange County Estate Planning Lawyer

It’s officially summertime, which means school is out and children across the state are gearing up for vacations, sports camps or other summer traditions that often require them to spend a few days away from home.

Perhaps that means staying with Grandma and Grandpa for a couple of weeks. Maybe it’s tagging along with close family friends to the beach, or even traveling abroad with classmates to another country.

Yet whatever the situation may be, parents must understand the importance of naming someone to make medical decisions on their child’s behalf if they are traveling alone this summer.

Essentially, that means providing the grandparents, camp counselors, or any other adult in charge with advanced medical directive forms giving them permission to make immediate and life saving medical decisions in your absence.

Without such legal documentation, important life-saving procedures could be put on hold until medical professionals can contact someone on the phone for approval. And as all parents know, every second in an emergency counts and that is why it is extremely important that someone you trust has permission to call the shots medically if your children traveling without you.

Another thing that you can do to protect your children is to create an emergency document listing all of the child’s shot records, allergies and all known medical conditions. This will help emergency personnel make appropriate decisions in a situation where there is very little time and sometimes no ability to get the child’s prior medical history.

Of course there other steps you can take to protect your child while away from home this summer, but essentially, the more comprehensive you can make your child’s legal “travel kit”, the more likely your child will get the appropriate care he or she needs in the event of an emergency.

Yet timing is of the essence in making sure your children are protected before they go away this summer.  Good planning ideally requires you to meet with a lawyer 3-4 weeks prior to your child’s departure date for best results.

So if you are running short on time and realize your kids are not protected in the event of an emergency, I invite you to come in for a Family Wealth Planning Session at our Orange County estate planning office (limited to 10 per month). These planning sessions are normally $750, but you can receive it at no-charge with the mention of this newsletter.

Simply call 949-260-1400 to set up your appointment today!