Huntsville Power of Attorney Lawyer

Providing Counsel in North Alabama for 15+ Years

Robertson Law has been handling estate planning matters in Huntsville since 2004. Attorney Michael Robertson, our founding attorney, focuses his practice on estate proceedings and brings understanding and knowledge to every case. He cares deeply about helping his clients, as is evident by his professional but approachable demeanor. Through this approach, we are confident Attorney Robertson can handle your estate planning issues with compassion and ease.

Power of attorney is a vitally important aspect of estate planning. It is crucial you maintain as much control over your finances, health, and assets as possible; this includes designating someone to make decisions on your behalf should you be unable to. Power of attorney grants this authority to a person of your choosing.

What Is a Power of Attorney?

A power of attorney (POA) is a document granting one or more people the ability to act on your behalf as your agent. Your agent can make financial and medical decisions in your stead. An agent’s power can be permanent or temporary, allowing you to customize the document based on your situation and needs.

Why Give Authority to Another Person to Make Decisions for You?

Accidents happen, and there may come a time when you are mentally or physically disabled or are simply not physically present when an important decision needs to be made. There are many scenarios in which having an agent can be incredibly convenient, if not necessary.

Some common situations include:

• Appointing a proxy to buy or sell assets for you if you’re unable to do so yourself
• Putting an agent in charge of medical decisions in the event you are unconscious or otherwise incapacitated
• Allowing someone to transfer your assets or collect government or insurance benefits on your behalf
• Avoid a court appointing a guardian or “conservator” to handle your financial affairs

There are two types of power of attorney: medical and financial. For medical needs, you can also create an advance directive. Attorney Robertson can help you figure out which POA documents are right for you.

What Should I Include in a Power of Attorney?

You will be responsible for naming someone as your agent, also known as an attorney-in-fact. Who you name is up to you, but it should be someone you trust to be rational and dependable in whatever situation that arises.

A power of attorney will also include what your agent can or cannot do in your stead.

You will also need to specify whether the POA remains in affect should you become unable to make your own decisions or otherwise incapacitated. This is referred to as a “durable” power of attorney.