Power of Attorney

Counsel from an Estate Planning Lawyer in Los Angeles County

A power of attorney is a legal document in which you appoint an individual to act on your behalf. You become known as the 'principal' and the person you select to represent you becomes known as the 'agent' or 'attorney-in-fact.' By signing a power of attorney, you are authorizing the agent to act on your behalf in certain matters. This can be for certain tasks or for continuous on-going tasks. It is important to understand that you are able to maintain full control in deciding the agent's level of involvement.

First off, let's discuss why you would want to sign a power of attorney in the first place. Let's say that you are out of town on vacation and it just so happens that you need to sign your housing contacts during the same time. With a power of attorney, you are able to select an agent to act on your behalf in signing the contracts for you. In a sense, you can be in two places at once. You may also want to consider appointing an agent to manage on-going tasks of yours. They can be held responsible for paying your bills, filing tax returns, overseeing your bank account transactions, and managing your property. By speaking with a Whittier estate planning lawyer from our firm, you can specify which tasks you want your agent taking over.

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The agent you choose should be someone who you fully trust. Although you are able to decide their level of involvement, there may be times where they are given the opportunity to take advantage of you. An option available to you is to appoint two separate agents. Having two agents can prove beneficial because you can have them make joint decisions. During times where one agent becomes unable to follow through with his or her tasks, the other can step in. If you want your agent to stay in control during times where you become incapacitated or even when you pass away, you may want to look into signing a "durable power of attorney."

When deciding whether or not to create a power of attorney, it is important to understand what your options are. By speaking with someone from our Whittier estate planning office, we would be happy to answer any questions that you may have. We want to ensure that you stay in safe hands and that your specific requests are reflected in the written document. When creating a power of attorney, you are given the freedom to alter it at your time of choosing. This gives you the freedom and assurance in knowing that you are able to maintain control.