Durable Power Of Attorney

• Checklist - 10 Things You Should Know About Your Parents' Finances

  Know the answers to these 10 elderly parent finance questions. Where do they keep their financial records? Do they have a durable power of attorney?

• Checklist - 5 Legal Documents You Need for Your Parents

  These documents will ensure that you can assist your...

• Article - Documents to Bring to the Oncologist's Office

  Be prepared: The ten crucial pieces of Information you need to have when you visit your parent's cancer doctor.

• Article - Estate Planning Basics

  Estate planning manages money and property during life and passes it to survivors after death. Know what the basic estate planning documents can do.

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - End-of-Life Financial Lessons Learned the Hard Way

  Francine Lipman, who teaches tax law, discovered that even she was ill-equipped to prepare herself for the financial realities of her mother's death.

• Blog Post - My brother won't share financial information about our dad's assets, and it's tearing the family apart.

  My brother has durable power of attorney for my dad...

Questions & Answers

• Question - Can my parent give durable power of attorney for healthcare to one child, and durable power of attorney for finance to another?

  Can my parents give one child durable power of attorney for healthcare and one durable power of attorney for finances? Power of attorney can be split.

• Question - What's the emergency procedure for obtaining durable power of attorney for finance or health care?

  What's the emergency procedure for obtaining durable power of attorney for finance or health care? Get answers on obtaining durable power of attorney.

• Question - How can I ensure that my domestic partner will be empowered to handle my medical care and financial decisions?

  To be sure your family is clear about your domestic partner's role in handling your property and medical care, be sure to reinforce those wishes now.

• Question - Can a durable power of attorney be made irrevocable?

  Powers of attorney may be something that's even better than irrevocable: They're flexible.

• Question - What rights do I have as a healthcare agent?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - My Mom has dementia, she will be moved from a hospital to...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - If I have durable power of attorney for my mother, how do I get access to her medical records?

  If you have been legally appointed an agent in your mother's durable power of attorney for health care, securing her medical records should be an unquestioned cinch.

• Question - What is the difference between dpoa and just a poa?

  A durable power of attorney remains in effect if and when the person granting the authority becomes unable to make and communicate decisions.

• Question - What's the difference between a guardianship and a conservatorship?

  What's the difference between a guardianship and a conservatorship? I want to know because my elderly parent refuses to sign a power of attorney.

• Question - If I have durable power of attorney for my father, can I stop him from giving money to a relative who is taking advantage of him?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Does a durable financial power of attorney for my mother...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - With both parents in a nursing home and me with power of attorney, can I protect their savings and house?

  Once both parents are in a nursing home, it's difficult to protect their assets. They'll have to use most of those assets to pay for their own care before Medicaid kicks in.

• Question - Can a parent revise or revoke a durable power of attorney for healthcare or finances?

  Can my parent revise or revoke his durable power of attorney for healthcare? He can revise his durable power of attorney if he's of sound mind.

• Question - What is the difference between "durable power of attorney"...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - When does a power of attorney take effect?

  Read the fine print to determine the specific powers granted in a power of attorney -- and make sure they're not overbroad.

• Question - Is there any way that a sibling can revoke durable power of attorney from another?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - How do I gain access to my parent's health records without a durable power of attorney for health care?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I obtain forms to initiate a durable power of attorney for finances?

  Whether to use self-help forms for a durable power of attorney for finances may depend on when you want the document to take effect.

• Question - Would my mom's power of attorney and living will have to be changed if she moves to a different state?

  Unlike may laws, the laws controlling advance directives can actually make your life easier. Your parent may not need to write up new documents if he or she moves to a new state.

• Question - How does Medicaid handle dementia patients who are unable to make financial decisions?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - Does an advanced directive for health care agents supersede a durable power of attorney for medical decisions, if you have both?

  When an advance directive and durable power of attorney conflict, the most recent document generally controls.

• Question - What documents, besides a will, do my aging parents need?

  Parents need an advance health care directive, a release for health care records, a durable power of attorney for finances, and maybe a living trust.

• Question - How do I monitor a caretaker's effectiveness?

  Formal legal arrangements such as powers of attorney or conservatorships may help ensure the best care for an aging relative. If not, the local Adult Protective Services agency may be able to help.

• Question - Can you transfer power of attorney in late-stage Alzheimer's?

  A power of attorney generally cannot be transferred once the principal is incapacitated.

• Question - Is a power of attorney necessary to obtain a deceased...

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Which forms do insurance companies and Medicare require in order for me to become a Patient Advocate for my elderly father?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - With both my parents in the hospital, how can I pay their bills?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert and a Community Member

• Question - How do I make sure my mother's personal information travels with her?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - If I'm the partner on a friend's checking account, is it legal for me to distribute the funds after death?

  My friend and I had a joint checking account before he died -- he added me to his account. Can I distribute the funds from our joint account now?

• Question - How do I set up a conservatorship for my mother?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I handle finances when I share POA with my sister and both parents have dementia?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Do I need to take legal steps to take over my sister's finances?

  You must follow some types of formalities before taking over another person’s finances; the law keeps a close eye on such arrangements.

• Question - Where can I get free legal advice for elder law?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - Do we need a court order for the bank stating my mother is unable to handle her financial affairs any longer?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Put It in Writing to Avoid Disputes

  If you and your siblings are squabbling over who should...