UNDERSTANDING POWER OF ATTORNEY DOCUMENTS
As people age, they often think about having an attorney write up a will or trust. These documents are important, but according to lawyer Mike Van Tubergen, there is another document that is also extremely important. “Wills and Trusts are usually written to help manage a person’s assets after he or she die. Durable Power of Attorney documents help take care of that person’s personal business matters, their assets and their healthcare while he or she is alive.”
TWO MOST COMMON POWER OF ATTORNEY DOCUMENTS
The two most common types of power of attorney documents are; (1) Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Matters where you appoint an “Attorney-In-Fact” to take care of your personal business and sign legal documents on your behalf, and (2) Durable Medical Power of Attorney where you appoint a “Patient Advocate” who makes medical decisions for you if you are unable to participate in your medical decisions. Van Tubergen says these two documents are “very important, and I believe everyone should have one.”
POWER OF ATTORNEY DOCUMENTS PROVIDE PEACE OF MIND
Wills and trusts get a lot of attention because most people have a lot of personal possessions that will need to be taken care of after a person passes away. Who will get Grandma’s piano? Who gets the money in the bank and the cottage on the lake? Wills and Trusts resolve those issues. “I like to say that a will or a trust takes care of your stuff after you are gone. A power of attorney document takes care of you while you are alive,” Van Tubergen noted. “That is why they are so important. We all have opinions on what should happen to us if we can’t make the decision for ourselves. A power of attorney document and the person that you appoint will take care of your wishes for you. Power of attorney documents are fairly straight forward, are reasonably priced. They will provide peace of mind and they will reduce stress in a time of crisis.”
Do you want to make sure your wishes are followed through on if you can’t make decisions for yourself? Do you live in Grand Haven, Spring Lake or Muskegon? Call us today so we can help you with power of attorney documents.
