It’s hard to believe, but in a few short weeks, young adults across America will be coming home for Thanksgiving. While the holiday may look different this year, and many of us will have to forego or adjust our time-honored traditions, we can still take time to reflect on what we’re thankful for and discuss things we care about together.
One of those matters that Thanksgiving provides a perfect opportunity to cover is setting up a young adult power of attorney form for a college age child.
In this post, we cover what a young adult power of attorney is, why you need one and address one of the most common questions people ask – what state should I select as my home state?
What is a young adult power of attorney and why does my college student need one?
Many parents ask this question, and it’s a good one. A young adult power of attorney form is an essential legal document that all young people need when they reach 18 years of age.
Most parents assume that they have automatic authority to handle decisions for their adult children, should they encounter an unexpected illness or accident that leaves them incapacitated.
However, once a child turns 18, parents no longer have the authority to make medical or financial decisions for their children.
A power of attorney form and healthcare power of attorney form authorizes parents to help their adult children manage financial, legal and healthcare decisions as needed.
Without these critical forms in place, if your child suffers an accident or gets into debt while away at school, you will not be able to converse with banks, doctors or insurance companies on their behalf.
This is one powerful reason to put a power of attorney form in place for your child. Another reason is maturity. There may come a time when your child finds himself or herself in a situation that they are ill-equipped to handle.
It is easy to fall into credit card debt in college and common for college students to need help from parents to make the right financial moves to put themselves back on solid ground.
Without a power of attorney in place, parents are hamstrung as to how to help their children and hindered in their efforts to advocate for their best interests.
Every adult child should have a durable power of attorney for health care and the same for financial matters because these forms designate who is authorized to handle medical and financial decisions in an emergency or when a child gets in over their head.
Without these forms, a state may appoint a guardian or conservator for you. Not only is it possible for it not be the parent, but the process can be complex and expensive. Power of attorney forms eliminate this concern.
Where do I get power of attorney forms?
Mama Bear Legal Forms offers affordable power of attorney (POA) templates and healthcare POA forms you can customize for your children and state(s) of residence. Our Young Adult Power of Attorney Package includes all three documents your college child needs for only $79 – a significantly lower price than the average attorney fee for preparing such documents.
What if my child attends college out of state?
Once they see the need for a power of attorney form, many parents ask us if they need multiple power of attorney forms when their children attend college out of state. It’s common to think you may need one form for your home state and another for the state where your child attends school.
While you can create multiple forms through Mama Bear Legal Forms at no additional cost, one power of attorney form is all that’s needed.
A properly-executed power of attorney form for one state will nearly always be recognized should it become necessary in another state. The key is to designate the correct home state when you complete a power of attorney form.
What do I designate as my child’s home state on a POA form?
The easiest clue to answering this question is to look at your child’s driver’s license. The state that is listed is very likely your child’s home state when you are completing your young adult power of attorney paperwork.
Your child’s home state is the place where he or she lives permanently, and does things such as pay taxes, vote, receive mail and obtain a driver’s license.
If your child attends school in another state, his or her home state is still likely the state in which he or she was living before going away for college.
In short, the home state is most likely where your child is coming home to for the holidays.
Where do I keep my power of attorney forms?
After creating and having your child sign the POA forms, keep the originals in a safe place with other important documents. If your child is home for the holidays, take a moment to show him or her where these documents are stored.
You should also scan and save them so they are readily available to email to a healthcare provider or financial institution in an emergency.
It’s also a good idea to send your child back to school with a copy of their own.
Get Your POA Package Now
Are you ready to get your Young Adult POA Package? Mama Bear Legal Forms provides law firm quality, state-specific documents that are easy to create, simple to download and incredibly affordable.
After you’re done passing the mashed potatoes and slicing the pumpkin pie this holiday season, take a few minutes out of your day to put in place a critical form that will give you, and your college student, peace of mind with a valid and executed power of attorney form.
It only takes ten minutes to create a young adult power of attorney form for your child. Get started now.
