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Navigating complex life decisions about 

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marriage , pregnancy , birth . 

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Adoption ? Have you suffered the death 

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of a spouse or a divorce or had a 

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significant change in your financial 

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status ? If so , your legal readiness 

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is our priority . Hello , I'm a legal 

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assistant attorney with the District of 

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Columbia Office of the Staff Judge 

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Advocate . Let's talk about a critical 

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component of your military career , 

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your legal readiness . Being legally 

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prepared is just as important as being 

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medically and physically ready . 

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Maintaining your legal readiness allows 

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you to focus on your mission , knowing 

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that your personal affairs and your 

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family are taken care of . It's 

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important to know that legal assistance 

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services are completely free and 

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confidential for all eligible service 

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members . Over the next few minutes , 

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we'll cover the key areas where we can 

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help . Let's start with family legal 

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readiness . If you have a minor child 

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or are the guardian of a disabled adult , 

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military regulations may require you to 

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have a family care plan . Legal 

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assistance does not write your family 

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care plan . however , we do help you 

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understand what legal documents may be 

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required should a situation arise that 

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requires implementation of your plan . 

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For example , we can help you appoint a 

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temporary or long term guardian for 

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your children through a power of 

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attorney and ensure that relevant 

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information is included in your last 

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will and testament . Family legal 

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readiness also includes making sure 

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your dependents are properly enrolled 

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in the defense enrollment eligibility 

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reporting . System commonly called 

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DEEARS , this ensures they have access 

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to their entitlements such as their own 

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military ID card . While our attorneys 

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do not issue military ID cards , we can 

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assist you in better understanding the 

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regulations so that you ensure your 

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eligible dependents are properly 

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enrolled . Let's now discuss estate 

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planning . The District of Columbia 

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National Guard has a legacy of 

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excellence . What will your legacy be ? 

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One way to ensure that your legacy 

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honors your military service is through 

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proper estate planning . A complete 

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estate plan typically includes a last 

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will and testament , as well as a 

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living will . Your last will and 

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testament is the foundational document . 

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It directs who receives your property 

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and if applicable , designates who will 

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care for your minor children upon your 

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death . Without a will , a court makes 

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these critical decisions for you , and 

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it may not align with your wishes . We 

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at legal assistance can assist you with 

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drafting a will that expresses your 

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wishes . You may already have a will , 

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and you should review your will 

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annually or after any major life event 

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like a marriage , divorce , or the 

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birth of a child . A living will 

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expresses your wishes for end of life 

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medical care if you are unable to 

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communicate . It answers difficult 

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questions about life support or organ 

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donation so that your family does not 

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have to make those guesses . To 

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complement that , a health care power 

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of attorney allows you to designate a 

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trusted person to make medical 

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decisions on your behalf if you become 

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incapacitated . This person can speak 

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with doctors , review your medical 

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records , and ensures that your wishes 

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are followed and no one has to make 

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guesses . Now let's cover powers of 

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attorney and financial affairs . You 

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may find that a power of attorney 

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relieves you of the stress of managing 

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financial obligations during times of 

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high up tempo . A power of attorney 

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gives another person , your agent , the 

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legal authority to manage your affairs . 

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This can be very helpful , but it can 

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also be dangerous if not handled 

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carefully . To mitigate risk , it is 

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recommended that you use a special 

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power of attorney which limits the 

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authority to only specific tasks and 

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for a set period . Be aware that some 

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institutions like banks or certain 

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government agencies will only 

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acknowledge a power of attorney that is 

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on their specific form . Always check 

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the appropriate website to use the 

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appropriate forms . And most 

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importantly , only choose someone that 

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you trust completely . If that trust is 

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lost , you must formally revoke their 

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power . We at legal assistance can help 

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you with the power of attorney process 

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from start to finish . We can also help 

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you review your SGLI , the Service 

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members Group Life Insurance , and any 

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private insurance policies . A common 

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mistake is naming a minor as a direct 

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beneficiary . Minors cannot receive 

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payments directly , which creates 

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significant complications . A legal 

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assistance attorney can help you set up 

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a trust to properly manage those funds 

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according to your wishes for your child . 

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In addition to SGLI , we can help 

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review your DD Form 93 , the record of 

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emergency data , which determines who 

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receives your death gratuity and unpaid 

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allowances . Your legal readiness is 

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our priority . You might spend your 

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duty day in austere environments , but 

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we are prepared to go wherever we are 

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needed . We also have designated payday 

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activities to conduct legal assistance 

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battlefield circulation to duty 

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locations . This will occur on the 1st 

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and 15th , no matter what day of the 

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week that falls on . We will also be 

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available in person from 11:00 to 1600 

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on the drill floor at the DC Armory on 

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the 1st and 15th . Make an appointment 

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by using the QR codes . Getting your 

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legal affairs in order is not something 

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to put off . It's a key part of your 

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readiness and one of the best things 

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you can do for the peace of mind of 

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both yourself and your family . Our 

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team is here to guide you through every 

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step . Contact us today to schedule 

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your legal readiness checkup .