While we’d all like to believe we will remain healthy and mentally alert well into our old age, this is far from a certainty. There are many illnesses that can cause physical and cognitive decline, and accidents and injuries can leave people incapacitated as well, often without warning. If you want to make sure your wishes will be carried out even in this kind of worst-case scenario, when you can no longer make decisions for yourself or communicate your wishes to others, then we at the office of Robert G. Spaugh, Attorney at Law, encourage you to set up a power of attorney. In this article, we’ll go over more about what a power of attorney is and how to create one.
- Defining Power of Attorney – A power of attorney is a legal document that grants one or more trusted individuals the power to make decisions on your behalf when you are unable to do so. In the event you become physically unable to represent yourself or mentally incompetent to act in your own self-interest, your agent (the person you choose to act for you) will be able to make those decisions for you.
- Types of Power of Attorney – When you make a power of attorney document, you have a great deal of freedom in how much power you give to your agents. You can give your agent broad decision-making power, or you can keep things narrow and limited to specific circumstances. You can also give different kinds of decision-making power to different individuals. For example, you can give your business partner the power to make financial decisions for your company while giving your life partner or spouse the power to make decisions about your medical care.
- How to Create a Power of Attorney – To create a power of attorney document, you will need to work with a lawyer to draw up the terms. In addition, you will need to inform the people named in the document and get their consent first. Then, you and your agents will need to sign the document and get it witnessed and notarized.
To learn more about establishing power of attorney, simply contact our office.