Law Office of John S. Palmer Attorney at Law

Power of Attorney

Every estate plan should include Durable Powers of Attorney. A Power of Attorney grants a third party (the “Agent” or “Attorney-in-Fact”) the legal authority to make decisions for, or act on behalf of, the person signing the Power of Attorney (the “Principal”).

Powers of Attorney executed for estate planning purposes usually grant rather broad powers over the Principal’s affairs, in anticipation of the possibility that the Principal may become permanently incapacitated at some point in the future; a single Agent may be given the authority to make both medical and financial decisions, or the Principal may name one person to handle medical decisions and another to handle finances.

For a Power of Attorney to be “durable,” it only needs to state that it shall not be affected by the future disability or incapacity of the Principal, or that it shall become effective upon the Principal’s incapacity.

A parent may authorize his or her Agent to make healthcare decisions for minor children, and nominate a legal guardian to be appointed for the children.

At the Law Office of John S. Palmer, we will gladly review your existing estate plan free of charge, and let you know if any changes are needed. We can tailor any estate planning document to meet your needs, and draft an estate plan that is right for you.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at (425) 455-5513, toll free at (877) 455-5513, or info@palmerlegal.com.