Does a Virginia College Student Really Need a Power of Attorney?

You’ve thought about all of the different details for your college bound child’s life but have you thought about what it would take to step in and make decisions on his or her behalf if they were unable to do so? This requires a power of attorney after your child has passed age 18. You are no longer legally able to make decisions or make inquiries on their behalf without a power of attorney document.

If your college age student puts together a power of attorney, however, and appoints you as the attorney in fact, you become eligible to manage legal and financial matters on behalf of your adult child. It might seem like a minor detail but this can be extremely important.

You can help with everyday tasks like renewing passport, managing car registration, updating a driver’s license or responding to a jury duty summons in the event that you have power of attorney over that individual. No matter where your child goes to college in Virginia,

Some of the most important factors to consider in determining what to think about when creating a power of attorney include illness or disability, business commitments, current or ongoing legal issues, location and distance and worst case scenario planning.

The assistance of an estate planning lawyer can go a long way in helping you to prepare a power of attorney document and ensuring that the person who has been appointed as the attorney in fact understands this role and is capable of stepping in to manage the important tasks outlined under the POA. Since a power of attorney can be broad or specific, it’s important to discuss these aspects with your college age student to help determine what is most appropriate for you in that situation.

Your Virginia Beach estate planner can assist you with this document creation.