Thanksgiving is around the corner and with it, an opportunity for college students who have gone away for school to return home for a time of celebration with family.
As you feast, have fun, shop and watch football with your young adult child, take a moment to put a power of attorney form in place with them.
While your child is home, it’s the perfect time to get this important legal document taken care of so that should something happen while they’re away at school, you’ll be able to help with health care or financial matters.
As many of the parents we help have found out, they can bring real peace of mind and comfort to both parents and their adult children.
Here’s one satisfied customer’s story of why she trusted Mama Bear Legal Forms with this important item.
Stacey’s Story – Why Mama Bear for a Young Adult POA
Stacey’s son Isaac is away for school, completing his first year at TCU. But before he left for campus, Stacey got POAs in place for both their home state and Texas, where Isaac is attending college.
Isaac turned 18 during the summer and Stacey saw it as the perfect time to get his POA documents taken care of.
“Until he gets married or has his own family, we are still our son’s next of kin,” Stacey says. “We wanted to make sure we were covered in case something happened to him.”
Online Forums Made the Need for a POA Clear
A common misconception parents have is that should a medical or financial emergency befall their young adult child, they will automatically be able to speak with doctors, banks or even college registrars offices about their child.
Absent a POA form, there is no guarantee that will be the case. Stacey learned this while watching TV one night.
“I heard a news story of a college student whose parents couldn’t advocate for them. The child was gravely hurt and not able to act on their own behalf. Since the student was an adult, the parents couldn’t do anything about it,” Stacey recalls.” I made a mental note to myself that I would need to do it.”
Stacey Watkins
After seeing ads in her Facebook feed for young adult POAs, Stacey found the Grown and Flown Facebook group, where she learned a lot more about POAs and why they are such critical legal documents for young adults to have in place.
“I already knew of the need and began looking for someone to help me get this document in place for my son,” she says. “Then, one of my son’s roommates’ mothers mentioned she had used Mama Bear. I checked them out and couldn’t have been happier.”
Using Mama Bear was a Breeze
Once Stacey began using Mama Bear for her son’s POA, she was pleased with how fast and easy the process was.
“The site walks you right through the process. I appreciated not needing a lawyer. It was such a seamless process. I just filled in the blanks and it spit out the document for me.”
Getting two versions of the documents for her home state and the state where her son attends college was also easy with the Mama Bear app.
“I just input the information when asked and the app let me know we needed two forms. There was no extra work and no extra payment,” Stacey says. “It really was so easy to use and provided such peace of mind. It was great to check one more thing off the list and more importantly, get this critical document in place for our family.”
Why You, Like Stacey, Need a Young Adult Power of Attorney Form
In case Stacey’s story alone doesn’t convince you, consider the following reasons why it’s necessary to get a power of attorney form in place for your young adult child.
Many important legal changes occur when a young person becomes an adult in the eyes of the law:
- Parents no longer have the right to make medical decisions for their child
- Parents are not authorized to help adult children manage financial issues
- Banks and insurance companies will no longer talk with parents about a child’s account or health condition
Every parent or legal guardian assumes they have automatic authority to handle decisions for their children, even after they become adults. But once a child turns 18 parents no longer have the right to make medical or financial decisions for them.
Absent a power of attorney form and healthcare power of attorney form, parents are not authorized to help adult children manage their financial, legal or healthcare decisions.
By age 18, HIPAA privacy laws pull the curtain fully closed and doctors, banks and insurance companies will no longer communicate with a parent about a child’s account or health condition.
More POA Resources and Information
There’s much more to learn about POAs. We’ve addressed common questions, such as:
Putting a POA in place now takes the catastrophe of becoming incapacitated without the power to name someone you trust to make life and death decisions for you off the table.
Get This Done While the Turkey’s Cooking
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 at $79, are incredibly affordable.
All three of the forms we offer in our Young Adult Package are legally valid in all states and include guidance on how to complete them.
It only takes ten minutes to create the three documents your child needs to have everything secured before they head off for spring break. Get yours now.
