Understanding How the Concept of Enduring Powers of Attorney Works

The concept of ‘enduring powers of attorney’ can be difficult to grasp at first, partially due to the words that make up the term. Contrary to the belief of some, a person who is granted powers of attorney does not have to be a licenced legal professional. While the word ‘attorney’ is often used interchangeably with ‘lawyer,’ it refers more generally to a person who has been appointed to handle the business or legal matters of another person. As such, someone who has been granted powers of attorney for another person has been entrusted to look after that person’s affairs.

How Enduring Power of Attorney Works

At Atticus Legal, we are powers of attorney lawyers, which means that we can draft the actual legal document that grants enduring powers of attorney. We offer this service as part of the wills, trusts and estate planning part of our law firm. In drawing up a will or creating a trust, you are authoring plans for how your estate will be handled and distributed in the event of your death. Granting a family member or another trusted person in your life enduring powers of attorney can go along with that process.

By giving the power of attorney to someone you trust, you ensure that your financial or legal affairs are in good hands even when you are not able to handle them yourself. Specifically, an enduring power of attorney document will grant another person responsibility for your affairs if you are unable to manage them yourself due to illness or disability.

If you are left mentally incapacitated by illness or injury, having an enduring power of attorney arrangement in place, can make it possible for your family to access your finances. This precaution can help to protect your loved ones from financial hardship should you suffer a serious accident or fall ill suddenly. This example is just one scenario in which enduring power of attorney can have a positive impact.

Establishing Power of Attorney in Hamilton

If you are interested in granting enduring power of attorney to a friend, family member or colleague, Atticus Legal can help. As part of a broader estate and asset protection plan, we can work with you to identify the best person to hold powers of attorney on your behalf. Over time, we can also help you to review, cancel, or alter your enduring power of attorney documents.

Should you become incapacitated in some way, for any reason, the last thing you want is to leave your family in limbo. Taking proper precautions and establishing powers of attorney documents now can prevent hardship for your loved ones in the future. Call our power of attorney lawyers at Atticus Legal to learn more about how enduring power of attorney works and what it means for you. You can reach our audiences now by calling 07 839 4558 or sending an email to andrew@atticuslegal.co.nz. We look forward to hearing from you soon.