The Documents Most People Are Missing — and Why It Matters More When You’re Single
Most people assume that having some kind of estate plan means they’re covered. But a flawed plan — or a plan that hasn’t kept pace with your life — can create just as many problems for the people you love as having no plan at all.
Over the next three posts, we’re walking through 12 of the most common estate planning mistakes I see in my practice. Today: the foundational documents that far too many people don’t have — and why, for single adults, the stakes of missing them are especially high.
Blunder #1: No Healthcare Directive or Health Care Surrogate
The majority of deaths occur in hospitals or care facilities, often when a person can no longer communicate their own wishes. Yet many people have never put their healthcare preferences in writing.
Two documents fix this. A living will (advance directive) records your specific wishes about end-of-life care — what treatments you do or don’t want if recovery is not expected. A health care surrogate designation names the person authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot.
For single adults, this is especially urgent. Without a named surrogate, your family or friends may have no legal standing to speak for you — and the medical team may have no clear person to turn to. The result can be a court-supervised guardianship process that’s slow, costly, and entirely avoidable.
These documents take a conversation and an afternoon. The peace of mind they provide lasts a lifetime.
Blunder #2: No One Appointed to Handle Your Finances
What happens to your bills, your bank accounts, and your financial obligations if you become incapacitated — even temporarily?
A financial power of attorney gives someone you trust the legal authority to manage your financial and legal affairs when you’re unable to. That means paying your mortgage, managing investments, handling tax filings, and keeping your household running — without a court ever getting involved.
For single adults who manage their finances independently, this document is non-negotiable. Without it, even the most capable and trustworthy person in your life has no legal authority to act for you. A health crisis becomes a financial crisis, not because anything is wrong with your accounts, but because no one has permission to access them.
Blunder #3: No Will or Trust
Without a will or trust in place, Florida law decides what happens to everything you’vebuilt. That decision is made without any input from you — and without any consideration of your relationships, your wishes, or the specific people you wanted to benefit.
Beyond who inherits what, dying without a plan typically means your estate goes through probate: a court process that is public, often slow, and expensive. Families can wait months — sometimes longer — before anything is resolved, while legal fees and court costs quietly reduce what’s left.
A revocable living trust avoids probate entirely. A well-drafted will ensures that what’sleft goes where you intend. Either way, a plan is essential. The absence of one is not neutral — it has real consequences for the people you care about.
Blunder #4: No Plan for Your Digital Assets
This is the blunder that surprises most people — and it’s become increasingly significant as more of our lives and assets exist online.
Digital assets include more than you might think: online bank and investment accounts, cryptocurrency, photos stored in the cloud, social media profiles, email accounts, loyalty point balances, and any account that generates income — such as content platforms or e-commerce storefronts.
Without explicit instructions and access information, your loved ones may be permanently locked out of accounts that hold real financial or sentimental value. Many platforms have strict policies that prevent access even for family members unless proper legal documentation is in place.
A comprehensive estate plan addresses your digital life as clearly as it addresses your physical assets. That means documenting what you have, where it is, and who should have access — and making sure the right legal authority is in place to act on it.
Coming Up in Part 2
Next, we’ll cover four more common blunders — including the ones that can quietly undermine an otherwise solid plan. If you’d like to start the conversation about your own plan now, I’d welcome your call.
Reach me at 561.935.9763 or visit www.TheCurranLawFirm.com to schedule a consultation.
— Maura S. Curran, Esq. | Maura S. Curran Law | Jupiter, FLEstate Planning & Administration | 561.935.9763 | www.TheCurranLawFirm.com
