March 21, 2018

A power of attorney is a vital estate planning document, but you need to know how to maximize its benefits as well as the limits. In a power of attorney document, you are the principle and name one or more agents, frequently an adult child to act on your behalf. The agent can be empowered to take any action on your behalf or may be restricted to particular activities. 

You will need a power of attorney because if something happens to you and you become incapacitated, the agent can pay bills, manage your assets and make decisions for you. The alternative is for your loved ones to have to go through a court procedure in which a judge must determine that you are incompetent and then have someone appointed to act on your behalf. This is referred to as guardianship in most states.

In an ideal situation, you can make things easier for your family members during an otherwise difficult time by allowing the power of attorney to take over smoothly and manage your affairs seamlessly because you are no longer able to do so. You need to ensure that you have selected a person who is confident serving in this role and one who gives you a lot of peace of mind about the process.