What to Add to the “To-Do-List” For Your College Bound Child
If you are making that “to-do list” of what to buy and
do before the big day your son or daughter heads off to college, here’s one
more thing to add to the list:
Ask
your young adult child to sign Durable General, Healthcare, and Mental
Healthcare Powers of Attorney.
What’s
the Problem?
After over eighteen years of having the authority to make
decisions for and on behalf of your son or daughter about everything concerning
their health and welfare, suddenly he or she is actually an adult, and as a
result you may no longer have the legal
right to have input or make any these decisions for or on behalf of your adult
child!
Healthcare Issues
Your child’s adulthood could mean that if he or she is sick or injured and unable to communicate, or becomes even temporarily disabled, you may be denied any information or input regarding your child’s medical condition and/or treatment by a hospital or medical provider because of Federal and/or State privacy laws, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
Business and Financial Issues
Other potential issues stemming from your lack of authority include, but are not limited to:
- Inability to Handle Financial Matters – You may need to access your son’s bank accounts, or deal with other financial matters on his behalf;
- Inability to Communicate with Your Child’s School – You may need or want to inquire with the college about your child’s classes, grades, professors, and related matters.
- Inability to Use/Access Digital Accounts – You may have a need the power to access, continue, modify, or terminate your child’s existing digital accounts, including to create or change any “passwords” and/or user identification profiles. ”
Ultimately, in certain circumstances, you may need to
seek court approval to act on his or her behalf.
Possible Solutions – The Legal Resource Center Young Adult Powers of Attorney Package
To better insure you can take care of your adult child
and his or her affairs in case of an emergency, you can ask them to sign three
documents, a General Power of Attorney
for Financial matters, a Healthcare Power of Attorney, and a Mental Healthcare
Power of Attorney.
- A Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney will empower you by authorizing medical providers to speak and consult with you, provide access to your adult child’s medical records, and authorize you to make necessary decisions if he is unable to.
- A Mental Healthcare Power of Attorney will employer you by authorizing medical providers to speak and consult with you, provide access to your adult child’s medical records, and authorize you to make necessary decisions if he is unable to.
- A Durable General Power of Attorney will empower you to exercise or perform any of the above acts and more on your adult child’s behalf.
Legal Resource Center can prepare your young adult's powers of attorney package for any state.
Check it off your list today by contacting Don Steward
at Legal Resource Center Today!
(602) 955-4005
