Bellevue Power Of Attorney Lawyer
Power of Attorney Lawyer Serving Bellevue
You’ve built your life and raised your family in Bellevue, Washington, which is ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States by CNN Money and USA Today. You’ve enjoyed the many things that make Bellevue such an appealing place to live, from Bellevue Square to the Bellevue Botanical Garden. Now, you’re at the stage of your life where you’re planning for your retirement years and setting up legal documents to ensure that your wishes are respected when you can no longer attend to your affairs in person.
A Power Of Attorney is a legal document that gives your chosen agent the authority to make decisions for you. You can use a POA to put a trusted person in charge of your healthcare or financial matters when you aren’t able to handle those issues yourself anymore. A respected estate planning law firm like ELG Estate Planning can help you set up a POA so your voice will be heard, even should you become incapacitated.
A POA can give you peace of mind by ensuring that someone you trust will be your voice should you no longer be able to do everything yourself. You can tell your agent how you want things handled and then relax, knowing it will all be handled by your agent if need be.
ELG Estate Planning is a law firm serving Bellevue, Washington. We know that no one wants to think about becoming incapacitated, but we believe that empowering your future with a well-crafted estate plan is the best way to guard against this possibility. If you need to establish a Power Of Attorney to protect your medical or financial well-being, contact ELG Estate Planning today!
Take a behind-the-scenes look at our ELG Estate Planning Seattle office and meet the incredible team behind the work. From your first consultation to finalizing your plan, we’re here to provide thoughtful guidance every step of the way.
Durable Powers of Attorney in Bellevue, WA
Washington law defines a Power Of Attorney as a document that:
Authorizes an agent to act on behalf of a principal
Uses the phrase “Power Of Attorney” in the document
To establish a Power Of Attorney in Bellevue, Washington, you must:
Sign and date a Power Of Attorney document
Acknowledge the signature in front of a notary public or in front of two witnesses
A witness for your Power Of Attorney cannot be:
Related or married to you
Your domestic partner
Your care provider
If you cannot sign your Power Of Attorney, you can still acknowledge it by making a mark. If you cannot make a mark, you can ask a notary public to sign on your behalf.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
A healthcare Power Of Attorney becomes effective either:
Immediately
On a future date specified in the POA document, generally when the principal becomes incapacitated, as defined in the document
If you set up your POA to become effective when you are incapacitated, you can specify an individual to determine when this has occurred. Otherwise, a physician, psychologist, court, or appropriate government official can make that determination. Under Washington law, a person is incapacitated when they cannot manage their affairs due to some impairment.
A healthcare Power Of Attorney authorizes a person to act as your agent who is empowered to make healthcare decisions for you. Your agent can access your medical records or make important medical decisions if you cannot communicate your wishes. Even after appointing an agent and giving them the authority to make your healthcare decisions, you can still revoke your healthcare Power Of Attorney whenever you like as long as you have capacity.
Structure of a Healthcare POA
A typical Healthcare Power Of Attorney in Washington will:
Name an agent and grant them the authority to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
Name an alternate in case your agent becomes unable or unwilling to take the role.
State whether the POA will take effect immediately, or when you become incapacitated.
Specify a procedure for revoking the POA.
Grant a list of specific powers to your agent.
Authorize reimbursement for your agent’s expenses.
The list of powers granted to your agent can include:
Access to medical records
HIPAA release
Employing and discharging healthcare providers
Admitting you to a medical or nursing facility
Consenting to medical procedures
Visiting you in any medical facility
Withdrawing life-sustaining procedures according to your healthcare directive
Financial Power of Attorney
A Financial Power Of Attorney works just the same as a healthcare Power Of Attorney, except that it involves financial matters rather than healthcare. You can authorize your agent to:
Pay bills for you
Buy and sell property for you
Withdraw money from your bank account when needed
This allows you to put a trusted friend or family member in charge of your finances when you are no longer able to make financial decisions yourself. However, it doesn’t mean that you give away your own authority. As long as you are able, you are in charge, even if your POA document is effective immediately. You retain the authority to make your own decisions as long as you are able, even with a POA in effect.
Structure of a Financial POA
A Financial Power Of Attorney in Washington will:
Name an agent and an alternate
Specify under what circumstances the POA will take effect
Specify the procedure for revoking the POA
Grant the agent general powers to make financial decisions for you
Grant any special powers you wish to grant
Authorize reimbursement of your agent’s expenses
You can determine which special powers you want to grant and which you do not, so a POA is highly customizable. For instance, you can authorize your agent to:
Transfer property to a Trust
Give gifts from your estate
Change the beneficiary of any life insurance policy
Refuse to receive an inheritance you do not wish to receive
Talk to your estate planning attorney about which powers you want to authorize your agent to have and if there are any powers you do not wish them to have.
Contact a Bellevue, WA, Estate Planning Firm Today
At ELG Estate Planning, we handle all aspects of estate planning, including Power Of Attorney, Wills and Trusts, Living Wills, Advance Healthcare Directives, and planning for long-term care. “Empowering Futures®,” guides us in all that we do, and that’s exactly what we want for you. An Empowered Future so you can live your best life.
A Power Of Attorney can be a powerful tool to ensure that someone you trust is making the important decisions the way you would want them to be made. We can help you set up a Financial Power Of Attorney, a Healthcare Power Of Attorney, or both. If you need help with any aspect of estate planning, contact ELG Estate Planning to discuss your Power Of Attorney or estate plan today!
Our firm has three locations throughout Washington to serve your estate planning needs, but our office closest to Bellevue is in Seattle at 9725 3rd Ave. NE, Suite 600.
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