pad of paper and pen

Before sending your recent high school graduate off to college, there are a few things that you need to make sure that they have beyond spending money and a new wardrobe.

Your child might have graduated as the valedictorian of his or her high school class and might be going off to a well-regarded university in the Fall, but you still know that your child has a lot of things that he or she needs to learn before he or she will be successful in life.

As a parent who wants what is best for your child, there are a few things you can do before your child goes off to college.

This was the topic of a recent post by the Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog in “Five Essentials for College Freshman.”

Things that you can do include:

  • Get your child a health care proxy. If your child has a medical emergency, you will want to make sure you or someone else you trust has the legal authority to make important health care decisions.
  • Get your child a general durable power of attorney. This document will allow you or another person named in the document to handle your child’s finances in an emergency.
  • Get your child a will. While hopefully not necessary, should the worst happen it would be a good idea for your child to have a will. If nothing else, getting a will should help your child understand why having a will is important.
  • Make sure that your child knows about cyber security and how to protect their identity. The Internet is still a dangerous place in many ways. Future employers also know all about social media.
  • Have your child get a credit card. It is possible your child might abuse it, but establishing credit early is important enough to take that risk.

Reference: Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog (July 12, 2017) “Five Essentials for College Freshman.”

For more information on asset preservation and estate planning, please visit my estate planning website.

Mr. Amoruso concentrates his practice on Elder Law, Comprehensive Estate Planning, Asset Preservation, Estate Administration and Guardianship.