KimberleyD, without knowing your particular circumstances, it's impossible for me to advise whether you should hire an attorney to create a health care or financial, limited or comprehensive, springing or immediate, POA or DPOA, or to create one yourself using a template, or, instead to seek guardianship and/or conservatorship. If you have or anticipate complexities due to family disharmony, then contacting an elder-law attorney is most likely advisable. However, I can also say that perfectly good and usable POAs and DPOAs can be created by reasonably careful laypersons using standard forms available on-line, or at libraries, banks, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. When I did an on-line search for "Idaho power of attorney form," the following two trusted websites were among the millions of results that provide Idaho-specific POA templates:
I "third" the suggestion for using an attorney. Preparation of estate planning documents is not a DIY project, for multiple reasons but perhaps the most important being that you want someone who is knowledgeable and up to date on current laws, in your state, and that person needs to be responsible for what he/she prepares.
You don't have the same level of confidence from on-line sites; you don't know the background of whoever drafted the form, how much he/she has kept up to date on changing statutes that might be applicable, or whether or not the person has even passed the State Bar.
id say yes to an elder law attorney also. I know its expensive to pay for that.
but whatever papers you end up with, you are going to be presenting them to all kinds of people and businesses/ doctors/banks etc.
my mom and dad set up theirs long time ago. and they both signed off to me
so every thing was completed by the attorney. and when I have to use my papers, I still get scrutinized. meaning I always feel like people still second guess if im trying to get away with something.
KimberleyD, it is best to have an "Elder Law Attorney" prepare a Power of Attorney. Gosh my POA is 17 pages long.
You can print such forms off the Internet, but note that each State has their own laws regarding POA's. All it takes is one wrong word or one misplaced word to cause havoc with a Power of Attorney that you prepared yourself.
Hi Kimberly You can find many posts on this forum about POAs. Just use the search. Please take the time to educate yourself on the issues regarding POAs, DPOAs etc and when and how they are activated. It’s an important document but is best done with the advisement of a certified elder attorney so it can be customized.
POAs are state specific. Put your state and then end of life documents in your search engine. Usually you will find a .gov site that lists the important medical forms for the state you need.
I haven’t seen one with a financial POA but other sites will appear. So far the states I’ve looked at all have living wills, dnr forms and medical directives. Read any form you choose very carefully.
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https://isb.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/tax_pwratty2012.pdf
https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title15/t15ch12/sect15-12-301/
You don't have the same level of confidence from on-line sites; you don't know the background of whoever drafted the form, how much he/she has kept up to date on changing statutes that might be applicable, or whether or not the person has even passed the State Bar.
Don't take a chance; hire a real attorney.
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but whatever papers you end up with, you are going to be presenting them to all kinds of people and businesses/ doctors/banks etc.
my mom and dad set up theirs long time ago. and they both signed off to me
so every thing was completed by the attorney.
and when I have to use my papers, I still get scrutinized. meaning I always feel like people still second guess if im trying to get away with something.
You can print such forms off the Internet, but note that each State has their own laws regarding POA's. All it takes is one wrong word or one misplaced word to cause havoc with a Power of Attorney that you prepared yourself.
You can find many posts on this forum about POAs. Just use the search. Please take the time to educate yourself on the issues regarding POAs, DPOAs etc and when and how they are activated.
It’s an important document but is best done with the advisement of a certified elder attorney so it can be customized.
POAs are state specific. Put your state and then end of life documents in your search engine. Usually you will find a .gov site that lists the important medical forms for the state you need.
I haven’t seen one with a financial POA but other sites will appear. So far the states I’ve looked at all have living wills, dnr forms and medical directives.
Read any form you choose very carefully.