Suttons Bay Law

Just the other day, I met with a new client. “Beth” is the young daughter of long-standing clients, just turned 18 and off to Michigan State University in a few days to start her freshman year. Beth was in my office to sign her very first General Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney and Release for medical information.

Beth came to see me not because she’s an astute and responsible young person, although she is certainly both of these. She came in because her parents had recently watched friends, whose 18-year old son suffered devastating injuries that landed him in intensive care, be denied access to any information about their son because he was now an adult. Beth’s parents were deeply alarmed and asked me how their family could avoid ever being in that horrific situation. The answer was simple: Beth, if she was willing, needed to sign powers of attorney giving her parents authority to access her information and to act for her should she be unable to act for herself.

Many parents don’t realize that once their kids turn 18, they are responsible for their own decisions and all of their information becomes private. If you have an 18-year old, for instance, you may discover that you can no longer set your child’s medical or dental appointments. You will certainly discover that you cannot call your child’s school and find out whether tuition has been paid or what their grades are. And, most importantly, you will not be able to make a health care decision or get information from a hospital or doctor unless your child is capable of giving that permission at the time.

General and health care powers of attorney, which give you power to speak and act on behalf of your child, are the answer. They are something that every adult should have and are relatively simple documents to put in place. You do so much to prepare your kids for college. Please don’t neglect this important detail!

Lee Flaherty

Tags: Estate Planning, Know it Now //