LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
If you had to deploy at a moment's notice, could you answer the following questions:
· Who will take care of my children if I die?
· Who would make medical decisions for me if I was in a coma?
· Who would get my things if I die and how do I make sure they do?
· Who will take care of my bills and do they need a power of attorney?
If you don't know the answers to these questions - you need to come see us at the legal office.
By serving in the military, we agree to be ready to deploy worldwide and at a moment's notice. Contingency situations may arise that do not provide you the luxury of time to get your legal affairs in order before you deploy.
No one would think of deploying without being medically cleared, and everyone knows to make sure their financial information is updated. But legal readiness is also an important aspect of your overall readiness.
At a minimum, ensuring you're legally ready to deploy should include the following steps:
· Visit the legal office to have a will, advanced medical directive, living will, and durable general power of attorney prepared. These documents take time to create and execute, so it is best to give yourself at least three weeks to get these documents before you deploy.
· Identify whether your spouse or other trusted individual will need a power of attorney to conduct specific transactions on your behalf. Examples include a power of attorney to register your car or a power of attorney to file your taxes. Consider adding your spouse or trusted individual to accounts.
· Identify whether you have contracts such as a home or apartment lease, cell phone contract, or other contracts that may need to be broken early. Legal assistance attorneys can help you use the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to end or modify these contracts.
Some legal documents take time to prepare, and all legal issues take time and work to resolve.
If you need legal documents, or have legal issues to work out before you deploy, come see the legal office now.
The Legal Office has walk-in legal assistance three days a week:
Mondays from 2 to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and Thursdays from noon to 2 p.m. General legal assistance information and will worksheets are available on the Air Force Legal Assistance Web site at www.aflegalassistance.com. For more information, you can always call the Langley Legal Office at 764-3277. We look forward to seeing you at the Legal Office soon.