What Bembridge House Can Teach Us About Planning for the Future

What will still be here 100 years from now?

It’s an interesting question to consider while standing in front of Bembridge House, one of Long Beach’s best-known historic homes. Built in 1906, the home has endured for more than a century, thanks in part to the care taken to preserve its architecture and history for the generations that followed.

We can’t know exactly what the future will look like. But we can make thoughtful plans for it.

That’s one reason October’s designation as Estate Planning Awareness Month is a good opportunity to take a fresh look at the documents that help put our wishes in place.

For some people, that means finally getting around to an estate plan. For others, it means reviewing documents they already have to make sure they still reflect their wishes. And when the time comes to sign, the notarization is an important part of the process for documents that require it.

Estate-planning signings may include a living trust, power of attorney, advance health care directive, or other documents prepared with the guidance of an attorney. A notary does not prepare or provide legal advice about those documents. The notary’s role is to properly complete the notarization when one is required.

As the owner of Notary Long Beach-Mobile Notary & Apostille, I provide mobile notary services for estate-planning signings throughout Long Beach and surrounding communities. For more than 25 years, I've met clients at their home or at another convenient location, making it possible to take care of the notarization without adding an unnecessary trip to a notary’s office.

The signing itself may only be one step in a much larger process, but it deserves attention. Knowing what to bring, understanding who needs to be present, and being prepared for the notarization can help the appointment go smoothly.

I recently wrote “Estate Planning Awareness Month: What to Know Before Signing,” where I go into more detail about what to consider before sitting down to sign estate-planning documents.

Bembridge House has lasted because people made decisions to care for something today that would matter tomorrow. Estate planning takes a different form, but the underlying idea is familiar: think ahead, make thoughtful decisions, and put those plans in place.

Need a mobile notary for your estate-planning signing?

Please contact (562) 477-3177 to learn more about estate planning notarization or schedule an appointment online.