In October 2012 I wrote that every farmer should have these five signed and notarized documents: Will, Advance Health Care Directives, a designated Power of Attorney to Make Health Care Decisions, a designated Power of Attorney to Make Business Decisions, and a Letter of Instruction.

These are still the minimum legal documents every farmer – actually, every adult – should have in place to assist family members, other loved ones, business associates, and others who might become involved in case you become disabled or die.

A January 2019 report by the AARP (American Assoc. of Retired Persons) says six of 10 senior citizens don’t have a will. The number of farmers who lack estate plans is fewer, but there are still some who have not broached the issue. Probably more do not have advance health care directives.

Farm and ranch families often approach me about sticky relationships with family members and specific desires about how the elders want their land to be divided and farmed by their successors. Hence, this update.

A few words about each document. The will is familiar to most people. It says who inherits your property – both the assets and debts, as well as who you designate as the executor to carry out these actions, and one or more alternates.

For practical purposes, the will is your estate plan. It might involve creation of a trust to provide income to your spouse or partners after you die. It indicates what happens to the property after the last person covered by the trust dies. Your will eliminates many of the disputes that might arise among your successors, making your passing and their lives easier.

Although there are kits available online, I advise farm people to consult an attorney familiar with farm estate matters to help devise the will and any supporting legal documents such as a trust. You may have to visit with several attorneys to find one you are comfortable with. Be sure to understand how property ownership is specified in land deeds and tax implications.

Advance health care directives indicate the medical procedures you desire to maintain your life, if a health crisis emerges. Advance directives usually involve a living will and to whom you give power of attorney (POA) to make health care decisions when you are incapable of making these choices.

The living will specifies medical procedures you want or would not want to keep you alive. Often the treating hospital and physicians are not aware of a patient’s living will and follow their oath – and legal requirement – to maintain life as long as possible, even if that is not what you wanted.

Forms to construct a living will and POAs to make health care or business decisions are available online, as well as from many hospitals, clinics, and attorney offices. Be sure to use the form for your state.

Give a notarized copy of the living will and durable power of attorney form to your physician(s) and to the institutions that provide you care. The POA should specify who has primary responsibility to make these decisions and at least one alternate.

It’s usually helpful to sit down with your physician(s), and perhaps the people to whom you give POA to make health care decisions, and review the end-of-life procedures you wish to implement. Physicians know they have to accommodate these matters and can often offer useful recommendations to the people with POA.

The power of attorney to make business decisions document indicates who you want to make business transactions, pay your taxes, and carry out other business activities when you are unable to do these things, and names at least one alternate.

It helps to give these people the right to make bank deposits and payments, to sign checks, and to have access to your safe deposit box in case you become incapacitated. The designees will need to sign necessary forms at your bank.

It is advisable to write a letter of instruction to accompany your will. Give a copy to the executor of your will. This document should indicate the following, if relevant to your situation:

•Where important documents such as insurance policies, saving accounts, loans, leases, POAs, and any other significant information are kept

•Instructions for the care of dependents such as minor children

•Instructions indicating how you want your land to be farmed

The letter of instruction is not legally binding, but in many ways it is the most important of the five critical documents listed because it helps your survivors know your wishes.

Besides these, other recommended documents you might want to consider are the following: a funeral plan, an organ donor card, a wallet-sized card indicating who has health care decision POA, and where to reach these people.

The documents described in this article give psychological comfort to you and your successors, as well as saving legal costs and, in many cases, medical costs.

Dr. Mike Rosmann is a psychologist and farmer in western Iowa. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers may contact him at mike@agbehavioralhealth.com