What does “Power of Attorney” mean? A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document giving one person—the “agent”—the legal power to make legal, financial, or medical decisions for another person. According to a recent article from Nerd Wallet, “What is a Power of Attorney (POA)? Types, How, When to Use,” the POA lets someone act on your behalf if you are traveling, too sick to act on your own behalf or can’t be present to sign legal documents.
You may name any adult, including your spouse, adult child, sibling, or a trusted friend, to act as your agent under power of attorney. It can be granted to anyone who is a legal adult and of sound mind. Ordinary POA designations dissolve if you become incapacitated. However, durable POA designations remain intact, even upon incapacity. You can give one person POA or divide the responsibilities among multiple people.
Most people don’t know that power of authority authorizations can be very specific or general, depending on your needs. When having an experienced estate planning attorney draft a POA, review the desired scope of your agent’s authority, when it should take effect and the desired duration.
If you don’t have a power of attorney and become incapacitated, a court can appoint someone to act on your behalf. However, court intervention turns a private matter into a public proceeding, and you cannot know if the appointed conservator will follow your wishes.
Types of Power of Attorney
The durable POA remains intact, even when you are incapacitated. The ordinary POA becomes moot once you are incapacitated. A dual POA gives power to two people and requires both individuals to sign off on any decisions. A dual POA may be useful if you have two children, for instance, and you’d like them to make joint decisions for you. Regardless of how many powers of attorney you appoint, you should always name successor agents for each power of attorney, in case the primary person is unable or unwilling to serve when needed.
A medical power of attorney, also called a health care proxy, is a type of advance directive giving another person to make all health care decisions for you in accordance with your wishes when you are unable to do so. Health care proxy decisions generally cover any type of medical treatment or procedure to diagnose and treat your health. Make sure the person you grant medical power of attorney to is familiar with your wishes and knows what decisions you would want in treatment or for life—supporting measures.
Don't have a power of attorney? Book a call with Vick Law, P.C. today to update your estate planning documents to include a POA.
Reference: Nerd Wallet (May 10, 2023) “What is a Power of Attorney (POA)? Types, How, When to Use”
