Good on Paper

A good plan isn’t just paperwork. It’s people - connected, available, and prepared.

Last week we worked with the family of a 73-year-old retired scientist - smart, independent, still sharp as ever. Unmarried and with no children. His siblings live far away, and they’re getting older too.

He has planned carefully for his future, and he’s done everything right. He has a trust, a Power of Attorney, and an estate plan - all neatly organized and up to date. His brother is the trustee and holds his Power of Attorney.

On paper, it’s a solid plan. In practice, it’s not.

That brother lives furthest away. He can’t be here for the day-to-day things - the signatures, the notarisations, the paperwork that piles up when health or mobility start to shift. If another stroke or fall happens, distance makes it nearly impossible to act quickly. And if his brother’s doctor decides his brother does not have the capacity to make legal decisions, then it might be too late to change the Power of Attorney to someone new.

This is what we see often: plans that look complete on paper but don’t hold up in real life.

The problem isn’t poor planning. It’s logistics and the unexpected twists and turns of life. Even the best-drafted documents can fall short when the people named can’t be physically present or available.

That’s when the conversation turns to local fiduciary support.

A fiduciary can step in as Power of Attorney when family members live too far away, or they can simply act alongside them - providing oversight, coordination, and communication. There are flexible options.

Sometimes, the Power of Attorney can be set up as a springing POA, meaning it only activates if a doctor certifies the person needs that level of help. Until then, nothing changes. The fiduciary doesn’t have signature authority but can work with the client to oversee finances, reconcile accounts, and keep everything in order.

It’s not about taking over. It’s about keeping the system ready.

In this case, that means keeping the brother involved as trustee but adding a fiduciary locally -someone who can handle the practical steps when timing and distance matter.

This collaborative approach keeps control where it belongs, while ensuring support is nearby when it’s needed. The fiduciary works with the care agency, doctor, attorney, accountants and family. Everyone stays informed, and the plan actually works when life happens.

If your estate plan or Power of Attorney hasn’t been updated in a while, it might be worth asking: Does this plan still work in practice? Are the people named still able to help when it counts?

Small adjustments now can prevent big problems later.