power of attorney

Drafting and signing a POA with a legal professional’s help can help you entrust your vital decisions to a person you can rely on.

Whether you have reached an age when health problems are inevitable, or you suffer from certain injuries or conditions that could possibly deteriorate your health status or judgment, delegating a person to make critical decisions on your behalf is wise.

If you have contemplated the possibility that you might be unable one day to make decisions on your own, a power of attorney agreement (POA) will give you more security and peace of mind.

What Is a Power of Attorney Document?

A POA is a legal agreement through which you choose a trusted person to make decisions for you when you are unable to. Such decisions usually involve crucial matters like healthcare options, business agreements, tax returns, decisions concerning kids or dependent persons.

By signing a power of attorney document, you designate a close person to you to be your “attorney-in-fact”, giving them the authority and right to sign vital documents on your behalf. Many people think that a close relative or spouse will be automatically given the right to make decisions on your behalf, but this doesn’t cover all situations you may think of.

If your decision-making is impaired, they can end up being made by a legal representative who does not share any personal or professional ties with you. This, of course, means that they will likely not make the decisions that you would’ve made.

Types of Power of Attorney Documents

There are several types of POAs one can sign, depending on what kind of powers they want to assign to someone else. We at Zuck Legal can handle any type of POA you need and will provide legal advice on which one to choose.

• Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA): this type of POA is active when you sign it until you pass away. You can revoke it as long as you are mentally able to do so. It gives your agent power over various decisions, from medical to legal and financial ones.
• Medical Power of Attorney: if your health state ever leads to you being mentally unable to make decisions, this type of POA allows your agent to act on your behalf when it comes to healthcare options.
• General Power of Attorney: this document gives your agent control over a wide variety of tasks and decisions, and it’s generally valid in the short-term.
• Special Power of Attorney: through this type of POA, you give your agent power over particular decisions, usually related to your finances. You can sign multiple special POAs for different tasks.
• Springing Power of Attorney: this type of POA can be chosen by individuals who want it to activate when a certain event happens (for example, military deployment, coma, incapacitation, death).

Drafting a Power of Attorney

As you can see, the limitations and the nature of this legal agreement can vary to cover your exact needs. Drafting and signing a POA with a legal professional’s help can help you entrust your vital decisions to a person you can rely on.