What is a Power of Attorney?
A power of attorney is an extremely powerful legal document. It is one of the most undervalued and misunderstood legal documents in America. A power of attorney authorizes one person to act on behalf of another. The person executing the power of attorney is the grantor. The person being authorized to act is the agent.
Why is a power of attorney so important?
It provides you with the power to choose who will care for you if you cannot care for yourself. If you become incapacitated without a power of attorney, intervention by a Texas court is a likely consequence.
If you are married, your spouse does not have the inherit authority to act on your behalf as your agent. Spouses have some authority to make decisions concerning medical care and can access joint financial accounts. Spouses do not have the legal authority to fully and properly care for their partner.
There are two types of power of attorney and everyone should have both. They are commonly known as the Durable Power of Attorney and the Medical Power of Attorney.
A Durable Power of Attorney is a power of attorney that allows your agent to manage your financial affairs such as overseeing investments and paying taxes.
A Medical Power of Attorney is a power of attorney that allows your agent to make all health care decisions for you, including the power to terminate life-support.
What is a Living Will?
What is commonly known as a “living will” is not a Last Will and Testament and has absolutely nothing to do with your property. It only concerns your physical health. A living will is an advanced health care directive that tells doctors whether you would want to be kept alive as long as possible using life support and other life sustaining treatments if you are permanently incapacitated and suffering from an irreversible or terminal health condition. A living will prevents anyone else from being forced to make these agonizing medical decisions for you. At Anderson Law Firm a living will is always included with your medical power of attorney.
Why should you get your powers of attorney from Anderson Law Firm?
The cut-rate power of attorney forms sold on internet sites and from some law firms without an Estate Planning Attorney on staff are the most basic stripped-down versions of a power of attorney. A good Estate Planning Attorney knows how to add custom language to a Durable Power of Attorney and greatly alter the powers granted to the agent.
There are situations where a basic power of attorney does not grant the agent sufficient power. If a power of attorney fails, your caregivers could be headed to the courthouse. Our goal at Anderson Law Firm is to keep you and your loved ones out of the courthouse. If a trip to the courthouse is inevitable, we can still help with an experienced Anderson Law Firm trial attorney.
With a set of powers of attorney from Anderson Law Firm you get one-on-one professional guidance in setting the course for your own future well being and care.
