Power of Attorney in San Francisco

Who Needs a Power of Attorney?

Power of attorney, or POA, is a legal document that allows an individual to act on another person’s behalf in the event that they are unable to do so. These documents can be assigned to an appointed family member, trusted friend, or business organization that you trust to manage all of your personal affairs. There are various types of powers of attorney, each granting a control at varying levels to the person in power, also known as the attorney-in-fact. POAs can grant control to the attorney-in-fact for a specific amount of time or indefinitely.

Having a power of attorney document can help ensure that your personal matters are attended to when you are not physically present to do so yourself, or when you are not of mental capacity to do so. Attorney-in-fact individuals should be someone that you trust fully, and an experienced San Francisco estate planning lawyer should always review any documentation in question to establish a POA.

Who Should Get a Power of Attorney?

There are a variety of circumstances where a power of attorney may be appropriate. Military members may choose to establish a power of attorney prior to deployment. Families may create the power of attorney to help care for financial matters. Patients can assign power of attorney to a family member to help make healthcare decisions. Guardians can be granted power of attorney over minor children.

There are different types of power of attorney, including:

• Limited power of attorney – These POAs give an individual specific, limited power to sign and act on behalf of the granter. These could be specific to financial documents, deeds, or healthcare directives and generally have a specified end date.
• Durable power of attorney – Durable POA is only considered valid when the grantor becomes unable to make decisions or sign for themselves. Incapacitation allowance is only valid until the granter is deceased, and then matters will generally turn over into wills or trusts.
• General power of attorney – Attorney-in-fact will have unlimited power over the granter’s needs. These POAs assign the attorney-in-fact the right to sign documentation, make financial and healthcare decisions. These POAs generally expire at a predetermined date.

Each individual’s needs for power of attorney will vary, and it is always important that you work with an experienced San Francisco power of attorney lawyer to ensure that your demands are properly met.

Let O’Neil & Rueppel, LLP, Help with Your Power of Attorney Needs

Establishing a power of attorney can help you ensure that your needs and directives will be addressed in the event that you are not physically present or mentally able to do so yourself. Our firm will work with you to ensure that your attorney-in-fact is someone that you trust, that they understand the scope of their responsibilities, and that all parties in question are educated on the type of POA that you have chosen.