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My sister died unexpectedly at the age of 41. She was single and lived alone with her dog. Neighbors hadn’t seen her in a few days, so they eventually contacted our family to check on her. She had passed in her sleep several days earlier. Her dog was still alive but had no food or water and was, as you can imagine, quite distressed.

Being single or living alone with pets is common today. Her situation made me think: if something unexpected happened tomorrow, who would step in to help?

Most single adults assume a parent, sibling, or close friend could automatically make decisions on their behalf. In reality, that’s often not the case.

Without the right legal documents in place:

• Doctors may not be able to follow your loved one’s direction

• Someone may need to go to court to obtain authority

• Important decisions could be delayed

• Your beloved pets might not have a safe and secure place to go

The good news? This is fixable—and simpler than most people think.

With a few key documents, you can:

• Choose someone you trust

• Give them clear authority

• Avoid unnecessary stress and delays

My goal is to write thought-provoking articles that break estate planning into bite-size pieces. Whether you are single with pets or married with children, I hope these articles encourage you to make plans for the future.

If you are in the Indianapolis area, I would love to help you.