Preparing your child for college... with a power of attorney?

As your child gets ready to head off to college, you may be feeling a mix of emotions: excitement, sadness, and maybe even a little bit of fear. The last thing you are thinking about is getting your child to appoint someone to be their power of attorney.

A power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone else the authority to make decisions on your behalf if, and only if, you are unable to make them yourself. This could be for a variety of reasons, such as if you become incapacitated due to an illness or accident.

Once your child turns 18, they are given the same rights to privacy and HIPAA protections that you have, and this means any hospital they are in, or financial institutions they are using, will treat you like a complete stranger unless you have been appointed their power of attorney. You will be on the outside, looking in.

A power of attorney is especially important for your child if they are going to be living away from home for the first time. If something happens to them, they may need someone to make medical decisions for them or to access their financial accounts.

Without a power of attorney, you would have to go through the court system to get someone appointed (yourself included) to make decisions on their behalf. This can be a lengthy and expensive process, and it may not be possible to get the decisions made in time if your child is in need of immediate care.

This means that you, or whomever is appointed as their agent, can make sure that your child is getting the medical care they need, that their finances are being managed properly, and that their legal affairs are in order in the event of an emergency.

It's not easy to think about something like this happening to your child, but it's important to be prepared. This is a scary thought, but it's a reality that could happen to any family. That's why it's so important to get a power of attorney for your child before they head off to college. A power of attorney is a simple way to give you peace of mind knowing that your child will be taken care of.

Don't wait until it's too late. Get a power of attorney for your child today. It's a simple way to get the peace of mind of knowing that in the event of an emergency there will be no red tape keeping you from your children in their time of need.

And to the newly turned 18 year old who has no interest in letting mom and dad continue to run your life, fear not. A power of attorney usually only kicks in if you have become incapacitated and are unable to care for or make decisions for yourself, with very few exceptions.

If you have questions or would like to get started, please feel free to contact C.A. Jones Law, PLLC at (804) 215-6510, info@cajoneslaw.com or visit us at cajoneslaw.com!