Advance Planning – Prepare for all Eventualities

Advance planning means putting the right legal and medical documents in place before something happens. It’s less dramatic than it sounds and usually more straightforward than people expect.

This guide explains what advance planning includes, which documents matter most, and how to put everything in place step by step.

What Is Advance Planning?

Advance planning prepares you legally and medically for situations where you cannot act for yourself.

It ensures that someone you trust can make decisions on your behalf and that your treatment preferences are clearly documented. It essentially answers questions like “If you were unconscious tomorrow, who could speak to doctors?”, “Who could access your bank account to pay rent?”, or “Would your treatment preferences be known?”.

In most countries, advance planning includes certain documents like:

• Advance directives
• A living will
• A healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney
• Financial power of attorney
• In some cases, a will or trust

Why Advance Planning Matters

Legal decisions are easier when they are made calmly and in advance.

Without advance planning, families often rely on default legal rules. However, these may not reflect your preferences, especially in medical situations.

It usually comes down to a few key documents. A living will sets out your medical treatment preferences. A healthcare proxy (or medical power of attorney) names someone who can speak for you. A financial power of attorney allows someone to manage financial matters if needed.

Depending on your situation, a will may also belong here, although that’s often part of broader estate planning.

Each document solves a specific problem. Together, they prevent confusion.

What Documents Are Part of Advance Planning?

Advance planning typically covers two main areas.

Medical decision-making includes advance directives and living wills. These explain what treatments you would accept and who may speak for you.

Legal and financial decision-making includes powers of attorney and, in some cases, estate documents.

Each document serves a different purpose. Together, they create a complete legal safety net.

If you want to understand the details of medical decision documents, you can explore our guide to advance directives.

How to Start Advance Planning

We recommend starting with just one simple question: If something happened to me tomorrow, who would step in?

From there, get a bit more into detail.

• Who should make medical decisions if you cannot?
• Do you have written treatment preferences?
• Is there someone legally authorized to manage finances if needed?

You do not need to complete everything at once. Once these foundations are set, you can refine and expand your plan.

When Should You Begin Advance Planning?

As soon as you are legally able to make decisions.

You don’t need to be older. You don’t need to be wealthy. If you have preferences and responsibilities, advance planning makes sense.

How Meolea Supports Advance Planning

Meolea helps you create and organize your advance planning documents in one secure place.

Having documents is one thing. Knowing where they are is another.

When we started building Meolea, we noticed something simple: many people had parts of their advance planning done but no central place where everything lived.

With Meolea, you can:

• Create legally valid documents
• Store them securely
• Keep them updated
• Give trusted people access when needed

So the paperwork doesn’t disappear into a drawer. Start your advance planning with Meolea for free.

Common Questions About Advance Planning