What is Power Of Attorney?
If you wish to grant some of the legal ability to act on your behalf, you need a power of attorney to do so. This legal document can be applied to a variety of needs, including finances, property affairs, and healthcare. The party who executes a power of attorney by signing it is called the principal. The party that is given authority over the principal is referred to as an agent or attorney-in-fact.
There are several categories of power of attorney, including:
- Advance Healthcare Directive, which allows the agent to make healthcare-related decisions for the principal. In some states, you may hear this referred to as a healthcare proxy, healthcare power of attorney, medical power of attorney, or healthcare directive.
- General or Special (Limited) Power of Attorney, which gives agents authority over finance and property matters related to the principal.
- Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney, a “durable” agreement which can be used to grant agents broad financial authority if the principal is incapacitated.
Why Should You Use a Power of Attorney?
Power of attorney documents let you set the terms for who manages your property during your lifetime if you are unable to do so on your own. These agreements can be designed to fit the needs of the principal in a variety of ways:
- Agents can be given very broad or extremely limited legal authority over medical, personal, and financial matters per the wishes of the principal.
- Principals can receive assistance with their personal and financial affairs from a trusted caregiver or relative instead of a court-appointed individual.
- Power of attorney only lasts during the lifetime of the principal, including in situations where the principal is physically or mentally incapacitated.
- Agreements can be drafted so that they are “durable” (actionable regardless of physical or mental capacity of the principal) or “springing” (activated only when the grantor is incapacitated).
Fees indicated below do not include filing, recording, or courier service costs. If you wish to prepare a new power of attorney agreement, please also add a revocation of power of attorney to your order.
Advance Healthcare Directive
Starting at $149
Let Us Help’s Advance Healthcare Directive Package appoints a trusted individual of your choosing to make medical decisions on your behalf if you lose the ability to make such decisions. This process ensures that healthcare providers meet your needs and follow your wishes.
The agent’s decisions about your health care, including changes in light of changes to your condition, are treated as your own. If you have specific directions that you wish for the agent to follow, including preferences for organ or tissue donation, you can itemize them in the Advance Healthcare Directive. Agents are given as little or as much authority as you wish.
If you are ordering a Medical Power of Attorney form to create a new agreement, please add a Revocation of Advance Healthcare Directive to your order.
General Power of Attorney For Finance & Property Matters
Starting at $149
Our General Power of Attorney Package allows principals to grant an agent broad authority to act on your behalf in matters regarding property and finances. If you must draft a new agreement to replace the pre-existing one, please add a Revocation of Power of Attorney to your order.
Limited Power Of Attorney For Finance & Property Matters
Starting at $149
Much like a General Power of Attorney, agents are given authority over the principal’s finance and property-related matters. However, the jurisdiction they have is limited to items specified in the agreement. Please add a Revocation of Power of Attorney to your order if you need to draft a new agreement.
Uniform Statutory Form Power Of Attorney
Starting at $149
A Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney lets principals delegate broad authority over personal financial affairs. What differentiates this document from a General Power of Attorney, however, is that this agreement is “durable”, meaning it is effective regardless of physical or mental disabilities that may incapacitate the principal.
This type of agreement is most beneficial for situations where the principal becomes temporarily or permanently incapacitated, or has an accident or severe illness that renders the grantor unable to manage their financial affairs. This agreement only lasts as long as the principal is alive. If you wish to revoke a pre-existing agreement to draft a new one, please add a Revocation of Power of Attorney package to your order.
Revocation of Advance Healthcare Directive
Starting at $149
This Revocation of Power of Attorney form applies specifically to advance healthcare directives. Whether you have changed your mind about having a power of attorney or wish to draft a new document altogether, revocation is necessary to conform to these wishes.
Revocation Of Power Of Attorney
Starting at $149
Whether your situation is changed, you have changed your mind about the use of power of attorney, or you wish to draft a new agreement, this revocation is necessary to end the existing agreement per your wishes.
The team at Let Us Help wants to ensure that California residents receive power of attorney document services that are tailored specifically to their needs. For more information about our legal document preparation and filing offerings, or to get a quote for your legal document needs, you can contact our team today at 866-2-LETUSHELP (866-253-8874).