Get your legal affairs in order now, no matter how young or old you may be. This would seem to be common-sense, but it is something that we often put off until too late.

If your parent or spouse - or YOU - has an accident or becomes too ill to understand and sign for him/herself, your lives can get dramatically more complex if you haven't taken care of this.

It is important not to just get a will made and signed. Take care of all the other paper work, too. Information about mortgages and all debts should be easy to locate. You should consult with an experienced lawyer about the disposition of assets while all of you are considered legally competent. Make sure that you have other legal documents such as durable Powers of Attorney filled out for both you and the person you are married to or caring for. Without a durable POA you may have to go get a guardianship later. This is a painful and expensive route most of us would prefer not to travel.

This also stands for any unmarried children over the age of 18. As a parent you may believe that in the event of an emergency you could step in on behalf of your unmarried 19, 20 or 21 year old. That's not the case unless your adult child has given you authorization in writing. It's especially important to have a power of attorney for health care for any child going to school away from home. Without that important piece of paper hospitals and other medical providers won't talk to you.