Your Parents Are Getting Older, Here Are the 3 Legal Conversations You Should Be Having Now

As parents get older, many adult children find themselves wondering when to start talking about legal planning. Waiting too long can make important decisions more difficult.

At Jeffrey Murray Law, we regularly help families in Belleville and across Ontario with these situations. Starting the right conversations early can protect your parents and reduce stress for everyone involved.

1. Choosing Who Will Help: Powers of Attorney for Property and Personal Care

One of the most important steps is deciding who can make decisions if your parents can’t manage their affairs in the future.

In Ontario, there are two types of Powers of Attorney that matter:

Power of Attorney for Property

This allows a trusted person, often a child, to help with:

• Paying bills
• Managing investments
• Selling property
• Handling day-to-day financial matters

Without this document, your family may need to go to court to get permission to manage accounts or sell a home.

Power of Attorney for Personal Care

This covers health care and personal decisions, such as:

• Choosing medical treatments
• Deciding on living arrangements
• Managing long-term care choices

Having both documents in place ensures someone can act quickly if needed. It also gives your parents control over who they trust with these responsibilities.

2. Documenting Medical Wishes: Advance Care Planning

It’s also important to talk about your parents’ preferences for medical care. An Advance Health Directive, sometimes called a living will, makes these wishes clear.

Topics to discuss include:

• Whether they would want life support in certain situations
• Preferences about pain management or specific treatments
• Where they would prefer to receive care if they need extra support

These documents help family members and doctors make decisions with confidence. Without them, families can face difficult choices without knowing what their loved one would have wanted.

3. Reviewing the Will and Estate Plan

A Will should reflect your parents’ current situation. It’s worth reviewing the Will if any of the following apply:

• The family has grown or changed, such as marriages, divorces, or grandchildren
• New property has been purchased
• There are changes in health or care needs
• Specific wishes about funeral planning or gifts to charity have not been written down

Making sure the Will is up to date can help prevent misunderstandings or legal challenges later.

Why Waiting Can Cause Problems

When legal conversations are delayed, families often face extra costs and stress:

• Without Powers of Attorney, banks and service providers may refuse to work with family members
• Medical decisions may fall to doctors or distant relatives instead of trusted family
• Outdated Wills can lead to family disputes and unexpected outcomes

Addressing these matters early allows everyone to focus on care and support, rather than scrambling to manage paperwork during a crisis.

How to Start the Conversation

It can feel uncomfortable to bring up legal planning, but many parents are relieved when someone takes the first step.

You might say:

“I’ve been thinking about how we can make sure everything is in place if you ever need help. Can we talk about what’s important to you and how we can support you with that?”

Keeping the focus on your parents’ wishes and comfort can help the conversation go smoothly.

Next Steps

If you are thinking about how to support your aging parents, now is the right time to start.

Contact Jeffrey Murray Law for a consultation. We can help you prepare the right documents and guide you through these important conversations.