An important consideration for many people in California who are planning how to handle their affairs is whether or not to have a power of attorney in place. In the event that you are incapacitated due to age, illness or an accident, a health care power of attorney may be a good idea in order to make certain that your loved ones do not have to make difficult decisions regarding the medical care you will receive.
In other situations, you may need to allow a person to make decisions on your behalf regarding financial or legal matters. You may want to grant a power of attorney on a limited basis for only one transaction or on a broad basis in order to allow the person to make decisions for you in a wide range of decisions. A power of attorney may be as broad or as limited as you like and may be tailored to fit your unique and individual goals and wishes.
You may structure a power of attorney to be effective only upon a triggering event, such as a determination by a physician or a court that you are incapacitated and thus no longer able to make decisions for yourself. If you do not have a power of attorney in such a case, your loved ones may end up undergoing conflict with one another in the event they are unable to agree on the decisions that should be made on your behalf.
We are focused on helping our clients with their estate planning and probate needs. We understand that people may have questions about how to handle their affairs in the event they are suddenly incapacitated. For further information, you are invited to visit our webpage that explains powers of attorney in more detail.
Source: Law office of Barbara J. Dibble, “FULLERTON LAWYER: WHEN YOU NEED A POWER OF ATTORNEY“, December 16, 2014
