Power of attorney in Lawrenceburg, Indiana grants one person to make specific decisions for another, under specific conditions. There are various reasons why one might grant power of attorney. However, most of them revolve around the possible incapacitation of the person granting the power - so that their wishes can be carried out even if they become unable to express them.

The principal is able to dictate the exact scope of the attorney-in-fact's authority. If you are giving someone power of attorney, you're probably planning on giving it to a close friend, family member, or life partner. The exact scope of the power is up to you, and will depend on what your goals are.

If you have a strong preference with respect to end-of-life care, but worry that you might be unable to express your wishes when the time comes, you may want to give a family member the legal authority to make such arrangements for you, if necessary. Of course, the power you grant them should be clearly limited to medical decisions, if that's all you want them to be able to decide. It should additionally clearly state that this power will not directly vest until and unless you actually become incapacitated. For reasons that should be obvious, you should only give this power to a person you trust.

In Lawrenceburg, Indiana, you can probably find pre-printed forms at office supply stores available for purchase. They already have the basic terms of a power-of-attorney agreement written, and just require the parties to fill in the blanks with names, dates, and a few other details.

Types of Power of Attorney Arrangements in Lawrenceburg, Indiana

In Lawrenceburg, Indiana, there are 3 forms of power of attorney. They are:

1. Limited power of attorney - limited power of attorney gives the attorney-in-fact the power to act on your behalf on a single issue, in a single transaction. For example, if you are buying a house in another state, you may wish to grant limited power of attorney to a friend or relative who lives in that state, so they can sign all of the proper documents on your behalf, so you don't have to incur travel expenses. For obvious reasons, you should only grant this power to someone you trust. Once the transaction is complete, the power of attorney automatically disappears.

2. Durable power of attorney - unlike limited power of attorney, this does not automatically expire, and can last as long as the principal wishes. It can also be revoked by the principal. For example, if you want someone to handle your financial affairs for a time, you can give them the relevant authority in your power of attorney agreement, and it will last as long as you want it to. Of course, you should only give such power to someone you trust.

3. Springing power of attorney - this is a form of power of attorney which doesn't truly take effect until the occurrence of some stated event. This event can be anything, but it is often the principal becoming disabled. You should be aware, though, that it is not always clear what "disabled" means in such an agreement, which can result in disagreements, resulting in litigation.

Can a Lawrenceburg, Indiana Lawyer Help?

Drafting a power of attorney agreement in Lawrenceburg, Indiana is not always easy. And even if the arrangement you want to set up is relatively simple, it might still be a good idea to have a lawyer go over it, just to make sure that there are no flaws that might prevent it from being implemented.