Ways You Can Prepare Yourself During the Coronavirus Crisis

Everyone is understandably worried about how the coronavirus can impact them and their loved ones. While taking protective measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, such as washing your hands and socially isolating yourself, you also need to prepare for the possibility that you or someone you love will catch the disease. Here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for the possibility that you’ll contract the coronavirus:

1. Have Your Personal Health Information On Hand
   You should make sure to have detailed medical information written down beforehand for easy reference, just in case you need to go to the hospital. This includes a list of all your medications and their dosages, any chronic medical conditions you’re dealing with and any allergies you may have. You should also have contact information for your general practitioner and any other doctors you see on a regular basis.
2. Locate Your Advance Directives
   Ideally, you should have an estate plan in place that includes advance directives like a durable power of attorney, healthcare proxy or living will. If you do have these arrangements in place, make sure you have the paperwork ready and available to facilitate their implementation, should they become necessary.
3. Ensure Your Loved Ones Can Access Your Money
   During a crisis like this, it’s essential that your loved ones be able to access your money, at least in the short term. This may mean giving them temporary joint ownership of the account or designating them as a beneficiary. This will allow them to help you pay for any bills that may arise while you’re hospitalized.
4. Provide Passwords to Banking and Other Sensitive Online Accounts
   Like the above, you should make sure your loved ones can access sensitive online accounts like your banking or investment accounts. Again, this should be for the short term to help facilitate paying your bills and taking care of your affairs in the event you are hospitalized or incapacitated.
5. Have Plans in Place for Dependents and Pets
   If you have any children or other dependents, make sure you have plans in place to ensure they’re taken care of if you become unable to care for them for some time. The same goes for any pets you may have. Make sure you have someone you know you can trust to take care of them available, and have a list of any medical or dietary needs they have ready in the event that you are unable to take care of them.

Please keep in mind that most courts are currently closed to everything except certain essential business, such as Guardianships and other Mental Hygiene matters, as well as COVID-related matters. Courts are also open for emergency orders of protection and emergency writs relating to custody; however any legal matter you want resolved will likely be delayed as a result of the public health crisis, so for the present you should follow the above recommendations, as well as those of your local and national authorities. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you can contact us at the email addresses listed below. Please stay safe, and take every precaution you can to avoid infection during this crisis.

Adam Crowley (acrowley@bfclaws.com)

Dana Finkelstein (dfinkelstein@bfclaws.com)

Debbie (Michael) Mazzola (dmazzola@bfclaws.com)

Edward K. Blodnick Esq. (eblodnick@bfclaws.com)

Elissa Jansen (ejansen@bfclaws.com)

Ellin Losito (ellin@bfclaws.com)

James E. Clark (jclark@bfclaws.com)

Jessica A. Sola, Esq. (jsola@bfclaws.com)

Leslie Martin (lmartin532@aol.com)

Paul A. Lanni, Esq. (planni@bfclaws.com)

Stacee Letizia (sletizia@bfclaws.com)

Thomas R. Fazio, Esq. (mailto:tfazio@bfclaws.com)