Planning to travel this winter? Make a will before you go.

Ah, winter! The time of year that most of us who live in snowy climates start dreaming of sunny beaches and palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze. But while you’re making your vacation plans, you should also be thinking about your estate planning.

Of course you don’t want to assume that something terrible could happen to you during your travels. Odds are you’ll make it home safe and sound with many wonderful memories of your holiday. But if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen at any time, and it’s a good idea to expect the unexpected - whether you’re traveling internationally or here at home.

If you don’t already have a will, this is the time to make one. If you do have a will, use this as an opportunity to review it and make sure it reflects your wishes and your current personal situation.

Prepare for the worst.

Extreme weather events. Aircraft design flaws. Improper aircraft maintenance. Human error. International terrorism. Accidents. Pandemics. Travel carries all kinds of risks that are beyond our control. That’s why we have travel insurance. We can insure ourselves for medical costs, flight interruption, and other common occurrences.

Think of your will as another form of insurance – not to protect yourself, but for the benefit of your family and heirs. Then protect your own interests with a power of attorney and an advance health care directive.

Plan for the future.

There are other scenarios to consider besides dying when you’re away from home. For instance, you could be involved in a car crash that leaves you incapacitated in some way and unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. You could contract a virus that puts you in hospital in a foreign country for an extended period of time and unable to properly manage your affairs back home. 

Technology allows us to do much more in our online lives than we could even a few years ago, but there are still certain functions that have to be attended to in person, such as signing legal documents. What will you do if you’re not able to handle these matters within a reasonable time frame? The answer to all of these problems is to make a power of attorney. You can appoint someone you trust to manage your financial, property and business affairs – either for a limited period of time while you’re away or if you become incapable of doing so yourself. 

You can use a health care power of attorney / advance medical directive to appoint someone to make medical decisions for you if you are not able to do so – including the power to make end-of-life decisions regarding pain management, artificial nutrition and hydration, and life support.

Cover all your bases.

There are a number of ways you can protect yourself and your family during that well-deserved vacation:

• Never travel without adequate travel insurance and medical insurance. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. And it’s a lot less expensive than having to pay medical bills in another country!
• Keep a list of emergency contacts on your phone and a printed copy in your wallet or bag. This should include immediate family, friends, your executor, and the agent(s) you named in your power of attorney. The information should give details such as phone numbers, emails, and the person’s relationship to you.
• Provide each of your emergency contacts with your travel itinerary, hotels, travel agent details (if any), and the location of your will and power of attorney.
• If you’re traveling without your children, make sure you provide a letter of consent granting temporary guardianship to the person who is caring for them during your absence.

Give your loved ones peace of mind.

Making a will before you travel will help to minimize stress and confusion for your loved ones during a crisis, and provide clear instructions to your executor regarding how you want your estate to be distributed and will specify who will care for your minor dependents. 

It will also give you more peace of mind during your vacation, knowing that you have made arrangements to assist your family in every way you can to get through a very difficult time.

Image © H. Cuthill