LEGALLY SPEAKING
by Amanda Roggenbuck

This month I will be writing a spilt column; first, I will talk about some of the tasks survivors are left to accomplish on your death. The list is a mile long and this column in no way intends to limit the ever-growing list. My hope is that it will give you a head start on your 'to do' list. First you must secure payment for expenses including final illness; this may include hospital or nursing home care, prescriptions, nurses, physical therapists and doctors, just to name a few.

Additionally, you must pay urgent bills such as rent, or mortgages, utility and tax bills possibly even insurance bills. There are associated expenses with your funeral, and burial such as the service, transportation, the burial plot, and the headstone, flowers, memorials, and maybe even travel expenses. You must notify many people of a death: the government, financial institutions, family members, service providers, friends, funeral attendants, attorneys, organizations that the individual was affiliated with and the funeral home.

Finally, many decisions must be made upon death. What type of service? Where will I be buried? Who will help out when I am gone? How much will it cost? Who will make the arrangements for my final resting place? Who will care for my family and minor children? Who will notify my friends and relatives? As you can see the questions can go on for pages, but these were just a few that commonly come up in discussions with my clients.

It is important that you understand that while no one can see the future, you can help plan for it. Death is a certainty and, the more that you can arrange now, the more grateful your friends and family will be years after you have passed when they realize how much they meant to you.

Second, I wanted to inform you that I have recently launched a Web site; the address is www.roggenbuckandassociates.com. Please take a look at the new Web site and sign up for our newsletters. They give good insight, and you just never know when they may answer a question you have.

Amanda Roggenbuck can be reached at her Cass City office at 989-872-8881, with office hours Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. She also has office hours by appointment in Deckerville in the former Sanilac County Bank Building. Amanda would be happy to answer your questions in this column, and will address them as space allows. Please send your questions to editor@lakeshore guardian.com or by mail to The Lakeshore Guardian, 9697 Purdy Road, Harbor Beach, MI 48441.