Overview of Power of Attorney

A “power of attorney” is a legal document that allows you to give someone else the ability to make decisions for you. There are two types of power of attorney documents: health care and financial. A power of attorney can be used to plan for times when you might not be able to take care of yourself or manage your finances, no matter how unlikely that might seem to be today. It can also be used if you expect to be away and it will be hard to reach you or for you to come back quickly. If a person does not have a power of attorney and cannot make their own decisions, the court may have to step in and pick a someone to make those decisions.