By Nancy Brumback , Contributing Writer
Westborough attorney specializes in elder law and estate planning
Business name: Law Office of Carolyn R. Spring
Address: 1900 West Park Drive, Westborough
Contact: 508-898-1835, [email protected]
Website: www.cspringlaw.com
What does your law practice cover?
“I specialize in estate planning and elder law. I help people of all ages with their estate planning needs, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care proxies. With elder law, I focus on issues related to seniors, such as asset protection and end-of-life concerns. I also probate estates,” said Carolyn Spring, a Westborough attorney for over 30 years.
What documents do people of all ages need?
“Everyone needs a power of attorney and a health care proxy. A power of attorney names someone to manage your finances if you’re incapacitated. For example, if you’re travelling and an issue comes up with your IRA, with a power of attorney in place, your spouse or whomever is named can handle it.
“The health care proxy names someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. An overlooked area here is the young adult child attending college. A student over the age of 18 needs a health care proxy and power of attorney. It’s more for the parents because, without a power of attorney, they cannot find out the child’s grades even though they’re paying the tuition bill. If the child is injured, doctors can’t talk to the parents without a health care proxy.”
When do you need a will?
“A will determines how your assets will be distributed when you die and names someone to oversee that distribution. You can also intentionally omit people that you may not want to ever have a claim, such as ex-sons- or daughters-in-law, or estranged children.
“If you have a minor child, you need a will to name a guardian to make sure someone will care for that child. If you do not have a will, there may be a fight between family members or the child may end up in foster care.”
You can help when a parent needs to go into an assisted living facility?
“An area I’ve recently become involved with is the process of moving an elderly parent from the family home to assisted living. In February, my own mother did just that. I found the process overwhelming at times, even though I knew whom to call for guidance.
“As a result, through my television show, Law for Your Life on Westborough cable television, I’ve been doing a series called ‘Moving Mom,’ in which I’ve chronicled the process. There is a different expert each month.” The program is available on WCTV and online through the website, www.westboroughtv.org.
What mistakes do people most often make?
“They try to do the documents on their own. Cutting corners is going to cost you more in the long run. Elder law in particular is highly specialized, so look for someone who is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
“Another mistake is people wait too long to do planning. Once you turn 70, you should prepare or review all the basic documents, so when you are 80 and may be incompetent, it’s not a problem. You never know when you’re going to have a stroke or heart attack. I like to say that I help people plan for the unexpected, but also to plan for what is inevitable.”