If you want to give somebody the legal authority to make certain decisions on your behalf in Hoquiam, Washington, you are giving them "power of attorney." There are many different types of power of attorney, to be discussed in more detail below, but they all boil down to one common element: the authority of one person to make decisions for another. I'm sure you can think of many reasons why somebody might want to give this power to another person, especially in the medical context (in case the grantor becomes incapacitated, for example).

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.

One very common reason for granting power of attorney is that the grantor believes that they might become incapacitated, due to age or illness, in the relatively near future, and they want to make sure that their preferences relating to care at the end of their life are followed. Of course, if nobody knows what that person's preferences are, and the patient is unable to express them, family members and doctors will simply have to guess. Obviously, there's a good chance that they could get it wrong. Therefore, you should make your desires well-known to those who will be in a position to implement it, and grant, in writing, a person you trust (such as a spouse, life partner, sibling, or adult child) the power to carry out your wishes, if necessary.

In Hoquiam, Washington, 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 Hoquiam, Washington

There are 3 basic arrangements that power of attorney can involve in Hoquiam, Washington. They are:

1. Limited power of attorney - this is the most limited form of power of attorney. It lets the attorney-in-fact exercise his or her power once, and in only one instance (laid out by the principal, of course). This is commonly used in business deals, if it is not convenient for the actual party to a deal to be physically present for the signing of some documents, it can be done through an attorney-in-fact. You simply need to give them the authority to sign the paperwork on your behalf, and it will be just as binding as if you had signed the documents yourself.

2. Durable power of attorney - this gives the attorney in fact the power to make decisions on a general area of the principal's affairs (for example, the power to access the principal's assets to pay the principal's debts, or the power to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the principal). Unlike limited power of attorney, durable power of attorney does not expire unless the principal revokes it. This is useful, because it allows the attorney-in-fact to make important decisions for the principal if the principal becomes incapacitated.

3. Springing power of attorney - this is a lot like durable power of attorney, but it does not usually take effect immediately. Rather, the power vests on the occurrence of certain condition(s) laid out by the principal. The principal could make the condition anything he or she wants, allowing power of attorney to vest only if, say, a person flies to Saturn. Of course, these arrangements are usually not so outlandish. Usually the event that must take place is the principal becoming incapacitated. This allows the principal to make his or her own decisions while they're able, but also ensures that someone they trust will be able to carry out their wishes in the event that they become too sick or weak to express them.

Can a Hoquiam, Washington Lawyer Help?

While setting up power of attorney in Hoquiam, Washington can be simple, there are some situations in which it will inevitably be complicated. In such cases, the process will be much easier if you have a good attorney to help you along the way.