Protecting Estates.
Protecting Legacies.

What should I know about when a power of attorney goes into effect?

A power of attorney gives another person the ability to make decisions on your behalf. It is usually used as part of an estate plan to prepare for a situation in which you cannot make decisions yourself due to medical incapacity.

The Superior Court of California explains you want to carefully choose the person who will act as your power of attorney. In addition, you need to understand when it goes into effect and how it remains effective.

Going into effect

Your power of attorney will become effective whenever you decide. You will set the perimeters for its use. You will write this into the documents that create the power of attorney. You have the ability to make it effective as soon as you sign it, but most people will make it effective when a triggering event happens, such as a medical professional declaring you unable to make your own decisions.

Ending the power

To end a power of attorney, you need to set this up when creating it. You will either put a specific date or a triggering action. A triggering action can be when the agent does something specific. You can also make it a durable power of attorney, which means it lasts until your death or until you take the legal steps to cancel it.

It is important that you know the details of your agreement and that you understand how this works. You want to be sure that you take the right steps to begin and end the power of attorney at a time that is best for you.

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