Determining Who Should Have Your Power of Attorney

You don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist to…..

Think about whom you want to handle your affairs if you become unable to handle them yourself, and ultimately when you pass away. Really assess which of your children (if any) has the skills needed for the job. A high IQ doesn’t necessarily equate to common sense, good organizational skills, and time management abilities.

Some of the things to consider are:

One person may be a logical choice to handle money or legal affairs while another person may be more suited to be the point person when it comes to the health care and medical responsibilities.

Talk to each person to whom you would like to give these responsibilities. You may find that they don’t want to accept the responsibility or they may need time to think about their decision. This isn’t something that the person should find out about by surprise.

If you are considering naming two people (two children, two professionals, two friends, or any combination of these people) to be co-decision makers, think about how well they will work together. If your children can’t get along when sitting at the Thanksgiving table, chances are that when things are stressful they won’t be able to get the job done.

Another touchy issue to take into account is your son/daughter-in-law and how much influence they will have or you want them to have.

Once your decisions have been made, an attorney should be consulted to implement all the appropriate legal papers such as Power of Attorney, Power of Attorney for Health Care, and Living Wills.