Four Legal Documents that Everyone Needs

It's easy to pretend that the worst won't happen, but the truth is that tragedy can strike at any time, leaving in its wake both heartache and mountains of paperwork. You should not wait until you are ripe with old age to prepare some legal documents, as having them complete-and on hand-can prevent legal maelstroms in the aftermath of an unexpected tragedy. What follows is a list of legal documents that every adult should have, regardless of their current situation.

Living Will and Power of Attorney

According to a recent article by ABC news, these two documents should go hand-in-hand. The Living Will and Power of Attorney documents take into account any situation in which you are unable to make decisions for yourself, therefore avoiding any familial conflict if such a devastating situation were to arise. These contain preferences about artificial life support and organ donation. Of course, actually producing these documents can be a daunting task, but services like LegalZoom take the hassle-and stress-out of such important paperwork.

Living Trust

Like a Will, a Living Trust is a legal document that distributes assets according to the desires of their former owner. Unlike a Will, a living trust is not up for probate-a costly process that can cost a family much grief and prevent the timely distribution of an estate. This document can also lessen estate taxes and develop a long-term property management. As with the Living Will and Power of Attorney, LegalZoom presents a fast and easy means of drafting this necessary document.

Kids Protection Plan

Minors faced with the loss of their parents can also find themselves lost in the system. This sad truth makes the necessity of this document rather self-explanatory; it develops a plan of care for your children, ensuring that their needs are met. This is a more flexible document than it may initially seem, as it allows you to designate both long-term and short-term guardians for your children.

Pet Protection Agreement

Like the Kids Protection Plan, this document declares a guardian for your pets. This document can cover both current and future pets, and it allows the guardian access to your pets' vet documents. Your guardian will gain possession of your pets in the event that you pass away or become unable to care for them. The Agreement can easily be procured through LegalZoom, and though it may not seem as major as the other documents, it will ensure that your animal-friends do not find themselves in the pound.

The author is associated with Legalzoom and LegalZoom Reviews, which is a prominent provider of legal advisory services to corporations, business houses and offers high end legal corporate and trademark services.