Durable Power of Attorney

Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney is just a fancy way of giving someone the legal power to act on your behalf as if they were you.

Having a power of attorney can be a very helpful tool in your everyday life, not just in the circumstance of your death. With a power of attorney, you are granting authorization to a specific person to handle either only specific matters on your behalf (limited power of attorney) or all matters on your behalf (general power of attorney).   Powers of attorney can be beneficial in the circumstance of an unexpected health decline, or if you just need help managing your affairs. When hearing the words “durable power of attorney,” all that means is that the power of attorney remains in effect should you become incapacitated, such as due to illness or an accident.  If you have a limited or general power of attorney, it is only good while you are alive and not incapacitated.

When we help clients with powers of attorney, our packets include limited, general, and durable power of attorney, depending on their needs.  Powers of attorney can (and should) be used with other estate planning documents to help you plan for medical emergencies, or unexpected aspects of life when they hit hard.  Having documents in place, such as a durable power of attorney, can help eliminate confusion and grant the authority to someone you trust to make decisions to be made on your behalf in a moment when you may not be able to.  We always encourage our clients to have these as part of their estate planning. And don’t worry, they can be revoked at any time and/or have expiration dates – so you remain in control.

Benefits of Having a Durable Power of Attorney:

• Allows for the continued maintenance of your affairs in the circumstance you are unavailable or incapacitated;
• only effective during your lifetime and will revoke upon your death;
• can be changed or revoked at any point during your life;
• avoids the need for a Guardian.

Are you interested in having a Power of Attorney? Call us today at Fighter Law.