Joanne Seminara

Many people discover too late that they need some essential legal documents to deal with common health and end of life issues. Failing to prepare these documents ahead of time can create major legal headaches that often require expensive trips to court to resolve. Written by expert attorneys, “5@55” is a slim, easy-to-read guide to the five most important legal documents you should have by age 55: Healthcare Advance Directive, Living Will, Power of Attorney, Last Will and Testament, and Authorization to Access Electronic Records and Media Sites. These are the documents that everyone says they’ll get to “eventually.” But “eventually” all too often turns to “never.” Setting a deadline of age 55 to draft these essential documents ensures that they’ll be ready before you need them—and avoid nasty and costly surprises. With full descriptions of each document, explanations of why you need it, and sample documents you can adapt to your own needs, “5@55” is a must-have manual for the second half of life.