Las Vegas residents may benefit from having both medical and financial powers of attorney as part of their estate plan. These documents allow an individual to appoint someone to handle his or her affairs if that person cannot. However, changes to the law may result in a financial institution or a healthcare provider to reject the document. The first step to avoiding this fate may be to talk with an estate planning attorney.
While changes to power of attorney documents may be done by using forms found online, this may not be the best way to go. Consulting with legal counsel may increase the odds that changes are made properly in accordance with state law. If a power of attorney was created prior to the adoption of HIPPA or UPOAA laws, it should be amended immediately.
Documents will ideally be reviewed periodically. They may also need to be reviewed after a major life event such as a separation. This may ensure that the people appointed to make decisions on an individual’s behalf are still the best ones to fulfill those roles.
A valid power of attorney may make it possible for an individual to have his or her wishes carried out in the event of incapacity. It may be possible to make a power of attorney as broad or as narrow as an individual wishes. In some cases, the power can be granted on a temporary basis with a predetermined start and end date. Those who wish to put into place these types of documents may want to meet with an attorney to learn more about the subject.