The day your child turns 18, something important happens.

You lose the legal right to make decisions for them.

Most parents have no idea.

It does not matter whether your child lives at home, attends college, works full-time, serves in the military, or spends all day watching paint dry in the garage.

Once your child becomes a legal adult, you may no longer have the authority to:

• Access medical records
• Speak with doctors
• Approve medical treatment
• Make healthcare decisions
• Access certain financial accounts
• Handle legal matters on their behalf
• Manage affairs if they become incapacitated

For purposes of our Young Adult Planning service, a "young adult" is generally your child between the ages of 18 and 25 who is unmarried, lives at home, and remains financially dependent upon you. Whether they are attending college, working, traveling, serving in the military, or still trying to figure out what they want to do with their life is largely irrelevant.

The law treats them as adults.

And that can create serious problems during a crisis.

Most families do not discover this until it is too late.

• A car accident.
• A motorcycle crash.
• A skiing injury.
• A mental health crisis.
• An unexpected hospitalization.
• A serious illness.

Suddenly, the parents who have cared for their child for eighteen years discover they have been locked out of the decision-making process.

This is one of the simplest and most affordable planning opportunities available to California families.

It is also one of the most overlooked.

The Most Common Estate Planning Mistake Parents Make

Many parents spend thousands of dollars creating a living trust to protect their family.

Then they completely ignore the fact that their 18-year-old child has no planning at all.

Think about it.

Your child may have:

• A driver's license
• A vehicle
• A bank account
• A debit card
• A credit card
• Student loans
• A job
• A lease
• Medical providers
• Social media accounts
• Digital assets

Yet they have absolutely no incapacity planning in place.

• No Healthcare Directive.
• No HIPAA Authorization.
• No Durable Power of Attorney.
• No emergency instructions.
• Nothing.

Parents often assume they can simply step in if something happens.

That assumption is frequently incorrect.

What Happens If Your Child Is Hospitalized?

Imagine receiving a call in the middle of the night.

• Your son was involved in a serious automobile accident.
• Your daughter suffered a medical emergency at college.
• Your child has been transported to the hospital.

You rush to the emergency room.

You identify yourself as their parent.

And the hospital staff politely explains:

"Your child is an adult."

Without proper legal documents, healthcare providers may have limited ability to discuss your child's medical condition with you.

• You may be unable to access records.
• You may be unable to receive information.
• You may be unable to make decisions if your child is unconscious or incapacitated.

Most parents assume this could never happen.

Until it does.

HIPAA Laws Can Turn Parents Into Strangers

Federal privacy laws were created to protect patients.

Unfortunately, those same laws often prevent parents from obtaining information during emergencies.

A properly drafted HIPAA Authorization can help ensure parents and trusted family members have access to important medical information when it matters most.

This single document may save enormous frustration during a crisis.

More importantly, it may help ensure better decisions are made.

Healthcare Decisions Matter

An Advance Healthcare Directive allows your young adult child to appoint trusted individuals to make healthcare decisions if they become unable to communicate.

Most parents assume they automatically hold this authority.

That assumption is dangerous.

Healthcare providers often look to legal documents for guidance.

Without them, decision-making may become significantly more complicated.

A properly prepared Advance Healthcare Directive can provide clarity regarding:

• Healthcare agents
• Medical treatment decisions
• End-of-life decisions
• Organ donation
• Mental health treatment
• Access to medical information
• Family communication

The goal is not planning for tragedy.

The goal is preparing for the unexpected.

What Happens During A Mental Health Crisis?

This is one of the most important—and most overlooked—reasons for Young Adult Planning.

Mental health challenges among young adults continue to rise.

• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Substance abuse.
• Psychiatric emergencies.
• Suicidal ideation.
• Hospitalization.

These situations are difficult enough without legal obstacles preventing parents from helping.

Proper planning may provide parents with greater ability to communicate with providers and participate in decision-making during emergencies.

Families often discover these issues only after a crisis has already occurred.

Planning ahead provides options.

Financial Emergencies Happen Too

Suppose your child is injured and unable to handle their own affairs.

• Who pays bills?
• Who accesses accounts?
• Who manages financial obligations?
• Who deals with insurance companies?
• Who signs documents?

Without proper authority, even simple tasks can become frustratingly difficult.

A Durable Power of Attorney allows your child to appoint trusted individuals to assist with financial matters if needed.

This document can be invaluable during periods of incapacity, hospitalization, travel, military service, or other emergencies.

College Students Need This More Than Anyone

Parents often assume college students are too young to need estate planning.

In reality, college students may be among the people who need it most.

Why?

• Because they often live away from home.
• They may attend school hundreds of miles away.
• They may travel internationally.
• They may be difficult to reach during emergencies.

When a crisis occurs, parents frequently discover they have very little legal authority.

A simple Young Adult Planning package can solve many of these concerns.

Military Service Members Face Additional Risks

Young adults serving in the military often need planning even more urgently.

• Deployments.
• Travel.
• Training exercises.
• Relocations.
• Potential injuries.
• Medical emergencies.

Every service member should have basic incapacity planning documents in place.

The Digital Life Problem

Many young adults have no physical assets worth mentioning.

But they have digital lives.

• Email accounts.
• Banking apps.
• Social media accounts.
• Online businesses.
• Cryptocurrency.
• Cloud storage.
• Photos.
• Videos.
• Digital subscriptions.

Without proper planning, access to these assets may become difficult after an emergency.

Young Adult Planning should address modern realities—not just traditional legal concerns.

Who Should Be Named?

For most young adults, the answer is simple.

• Mom.
• Dad.
• Or both.

Sometimes grandparents, siblings, or other trusted individuals may also be appropriate.

The right answer depends upon the family's circumstances.

The most important consideration is choosing someone responsible, available, and capable of making difficult decisions under pressure.

The Cost Of Waiting

Many families delay planning because they assume nothing bad will happen.

Most of the time, they are right.

Until they are wrong.

The reality is that Young Adult Planning is not about expecting disaster.

It is about making sure that if disaster occurs, the people who love your child most are not standing in a hospital hallway being told:

"Sorry. We can't talk to you."

A few simple documents created today can provide enormous peace of mind tomorrow.

Young Adult Planning For California Families

We help families throughout Sacramento, Roseville, Granite Bay, Rocklin, Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Auburn, Placer County, El Dorado County, Sacramento County, and throughout California create practical planning solutions for their young adult children. Whether your child is attending college, entering the workforce, serving in the military, traveling, living at home, or simply figuring out their next step, Young Adult Planning helps ensure that the people who care most about them can help when help is needed most.

Because once your child turns eighteen, being their parent is no longer enough.