When you need to be out of town for some reason and you need someone to make important decisions in regards to a business or an estate, you need to make use of the document known as the Power of Attorney. The Power of Attorney can also be used in case you become seriously ill and are not able to make important decisions or actions that must be then handled by someone else. It is important that you know how the Power of Attorney works so that you can use it to your advantage.
California Power of Attorney
As a person living in California, you need to get a power of attorney form in California when you are looking to choose an agent to act on your behalf if you are incapacitated in some way or you are going out of town and won’t be able to act if the situation needs you to do so. Contrary to a will that allows you to choose someone take care of things when you are no longer living, the Power of Attorney is something that allows you to choose someone when you are still living so that he or she can act on your behalf and make important decisions that may be related to your health, your business entity, your estate or some other function.
The Power of Attorney basically works as a type of legal arrangement wherein you can use it as a tool for authorizing someone to act and make decisions when you are not able to do so. As you are going to write down your intentions and wishes in the Power of Attorney document, your wishes are going to be carried out even if you are not able to communicate or act. The document should be duly signed and notarized so that it has legal validity and can be used when it is necessary.
California Power of Attorney terminology
When you create a Power of Attorney to choose someone who can act on your behalf, you are the principal in such an arrangement. The person that you choose to take important decisions regarding your health, your business, your children or other financial requirements is known as the attorney-in-fact or the agent. The Power of Attorney is also sometimes referred to as letter of authority or letter of attorney.
Durable Power of Attorney in California
Durable Power of Attorney is a document that you can use when you are concerned about your healthcare needs. Through this document, you can choose a person and provide him or her with full authority when it comes to all matters pertaining to your health. Whether you are in need of blood or oxygen or artificial life support, your attorney-in-fact can make decisions regarding such things for you. Other matters that can be decided by your agent include diagnosis of health conditions, medical procedures, day to day healthcare needs, mental wellbeing and care as well as use of medical tools and aids.
Collecting your Power of Attorney form
Once you have decided to get a Power of Attorney form for your specific medical or other needs, you should visit an online site that offers different kinds of online legal forms. You can get a free Power of Attorney form in that way that you can have filled up and notarized.