Hickory Power of Attorney Lawyer

Power of Attorney Lawyer in Hickory, NC

Imagining a time in which you are unable to make your own decisions can be scary. While it is understandable if you do not want to think about planning ahead for such a situation, it can make life a lot easier for you and the people you love.

To start planning for a scenario where you are incapacitated or a time when you are temporarily unable to attend to your affairs, you should get in contact with a Hickory power of attorney lawyer today.

Planning ahead can also give you some control over what happens to your assets in such a situation, rather than having other people make critical decisions for you. At Cody Law Firm, we can help you determine what kind of power of attorney is right for you. We can also draw up all of the necessary documentation so that it is legally sound and clear, and its credibility cannot one day be called into question.

Our team of experienced estate planning lawyers is dedicated to helping Hickory residents protect their assets.

What Is Power of Attorney?

If you draw up a power of attorney, you are drawing up a document that gives somebody the power to make decisions about your life. You get to select the individual and authorize them to take specific actions. Typically, people use power of attorney to designate a person to make decisions about their business, personal finances, or health.

The person that you give decision-making power to in your power of attorney is called the agent. They will take action on behalf of you, who is called the principal. In Hickory. North Carolina, there are several types of power of attorney you can choose from. For instance, you can select some of the following:

• General Power of Attorney: If you draw up a general power of attorney, you give your designated person the ability to make most legal decisions that you couldn’t do yourself. For instance, your agent could sell and purchase real estate, handle your taxes, make investments, and execute banking transactions.
• Healthcare Power of Attorney: If you issue a healthcare power of attorney, your agent can only make medical decisions on your behalf. Your agent for your healthcare power of attorney must be at least eighteen years of age. Giving someone medical power is no small matter, so it is important that you carefully outline what this person will and will not have the authority to do.
• Financial Power of Attorney: If you choose to have a financial power of attorney, you give your agent decision-making power over your finances. You have the ability to identify what powers you want your agent to have and can detail the scope of their abilities in your document.
• Temporary vs. Durable Power of Attorney: Your power of attorney in North Carolina can either be temporary or durable. If you choose a durable power of attorney, this means that your document remains in effect even in the event that you become incapacitated.

What Is Required for Power of Attorney in NC?

If you want to make sure your power of attorney is sound and effective, you need to make sure that you abide by the rules and regulations surrounding these documents in North Carolina. For example, you must be of sound mind when making your power of attorney.

This is important because it is possible for someone to one day contest your document if they believe you were not in a sound state of mind when you were writing it up. You also must be voluntarily making the document, and you need to make sure the document is written in order to be effective.

In addition, while signing your power of attorney in front of witnesses and having the document notarized is not required by North Carolina law, it is in your interest to do these things. Having witnesses present when you sign it, especially a notary, can help make sure that your document is deemed credible and that it is never called into question.

Why Do You Need a Power of Attorney Lawyer?

There are a lot of choices and decisions involved in drawing up an attorney. You might have an idea in mind about who you want to appoint as your agent, for what purposes, and for how long, but you do not completely understand how to go about doing it. This is where your lawyer comes in.

A power of attorney lawyer is a legal professional who specializes in estate law. They can serve as the lead counsel on your case and manage all parts of your estate planning process. When it comes to intricate, impactful legal matters such as who will make decisions about your health, it is critical that you carry out this planning carefully and correctly.

In the event that your power of attorney is contested one day in court, a power of attorney lawyer can also provide legal representation to protect your rights and wishes during this time. While this is uncommon, sometimes intense disputes among family members and conflicts about who wants power could lead to a court case.

Experienced Power of Attorney Lawyers

A power of attorney is an important legal document that represents your decisions. Although you do not technically need a lawyer to draw one up for you, when you do it yourself, you risk not doing it correctly and having it disputed one day when you are unable to have a say in what happens. When you hire an estate planning attorney to handle your power of attorney, you can rest assured that your wishes are carried out the way that you see fit.

Our team of capable estate planning lawyers at Cody Law Firm can help you with all of your power of attorney needs. From determining which type of power of attorney is right for you to making sure that your wishes are clear and legally sound, we have got you covered. Get in touch with our office as soon as possible to get started.