Legal Planning for Your High School Graduate
If you’re the parent of a high school graduate this year, congratulations! You’ve put in a lot of
time and effort toward earning that diploma, and whatever their next step in life will be, you
likely want to protect them just as much as you did while they were still in high school.
But before you pack your child off to college or just an apartment across town, you need to
know that when they leave, they will be taking some of the legal rights you had before they
turned 18.
Legally An Adult at 18
Once a child turns 18, they are no longer considered a child in the eyes of the law. And you no
longer have the legal right to access their health care, school or banking records without their
permission. Here are some steps you should take before your child leaves the nest that will help
ensure your peace of mind and their safety:
CREATE AN ADVANCE HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVE
Once your child is officially an adult, they need to have an advance healthcare directive
that will allow you to access their medical records and make medical decisions for them
in case they become incapacitated. This is essential in case of an emergency. They will
also need to sign a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) form that
allows medical professionals to share information with you.
USE TECHNOLOGY
The American Bar Association recently released a free app for iPhone and Android that
allows you to store an advance directive and other important documents on a
smartphone. The app comes in two versions: the Lite version stores a PDF version of an
advanced healthcare directive and HIPAA form; the Pro version ($3.99) provides more
functionality, including the ability to email documents. The app is called My HealthCare
Wishes and is available from the iPhone App Store or on Google Play for Android
devices. There are also online solutions like DocuBank.com that stores medical records
and allows those to be accessed by medical professionals anywhere in the world.
ADD AN ICE APP TO YOUR CHILD’S PHONE
Add an ICE (In Case of Emergency) app to the homepage of your child’s phone that lists
your contact information and also create an ICE listing in his or her phone contacts with
this information. Your child is much more likely to always have their phone with them
than to carry a printed card or document.
This article is a service of CKLH Law Personal Family Lawyer®. We do not just draft documents; we ensure you
make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That’s why we
offer a Family Wealth Planning Session™, during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve
ever been before and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by calling our office today to
schedule a Family Wealth Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no
charge. Or Click Here to learn more about our Family Wealth Planning Session.
