A power of attorney is a critical instrument which empowers another individual (an “agent”) to manage the affairs, (property, finances, or other legal decisions) on behalf of an individual (the “principal”). The principal has the total discretion to give the assigned agent a broad range of authority, or, a very limited range of authority

depending on their particular desire. 

 

So why may you need a power of attorney? A power of attorney is frequently used in the event that an individual is unable to make decisions on their own behalf, or, is unable to sign necessary legal documentation. For example, a power of attorney would be extremely useful in the event that the Principal falls ill and is incapacitated, or, is undergoing a very serious surgery. If a power of attorney is not in place, however, any proposed agent would be unauthorized to take any actions on the Principal’s behalf. For these complicated circumstances, many of our clients come to our firm to draft their will, health care proxy, and/or power of attorney. Our process is kept simple and very

efficient as you will see below! 

 

 

 

Our Intake Process:

 

During your first call with our office, you will immediately be taken care of and asked a series of standard intake questions. An appointment will be scheduled based on your availability and you will meet with Attorney David Fried personally. More in-depth questions will be asked of you regarding your wishes, potential designated agents, and any other special items you may wish noted when drafting the power of attorney. At the conclusion of the meeting a Power of Attorney Form will be issued to you so as to ensure absolute accuracy of names, phone numbers, specific wishes, etc. 

 

Once the form has been returned to our office, drafting of the power of attorney will commence immediately. You can expect receiving updates and/or inquiries for additional information if needed. Upon completion of the draft, a copy is always provided to the client for their final review. If no alterations or adjustments must be made, a date will be scheduled for execution of the document. 

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Execution of the Power of Attorney:

 

At the time of execution, an attorney will always be present to supervise. A final review of the power of attorney is done once more with you to ensure absolute accuracy and address any questions / concerns that may be raised. Once approval has been granted, it is then executed by the client, the designated agent, and a Notary Public. It is not required that the designated agent be present at the time the Principal executes the instrument. The agent can sign at a later date so long as a Notary Public is present. 

 

The original power of attorney is then provided to the client along with courtesy copies for distribution purposes (it is recommended that you provide a copy to your designated agent). One copy will always be held with our office for safe keeping. In the event that any changes or updates need to be made in the future, we welcome calls to make those adjustments! It is extremely important that these changes are not made by the client themselves as it can invalidate the entire power of attorney. As you can see, this is a process our office makes extremely easy for our clients!   

 

 

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A power of attorney can become complicated if attempting to create this instrument on your own. But it doesn’t have to be! Our office takes the hassle and confusion directly away from the client and keeps the process short and simple. The client provides the information needed and we take it from there. If a power of attorney is something you, a friend, or a family member may need, please do not hesitate to call and inquire. Consultations are always FREE and our rates are very competitive!