Free Power of Attorney Form to Print Out

Power of attorney forms are extremely useful documents that are also versatile. Power of attorney forms find applications that include temporary powers over financial transactions and maintaining interests, for those either incapacitated or otherwise unable to act on their own behalf. Many simple and straightforward forms are available for download across the Internet, as well as many that are .

A power of attorney is a legal document that grants authority to an individual (the agent, or attorney-in-fact) to make legal decisions for another individual who is incapacitated or otherwise not able to adequately make his or her own decisions, otherwise legally known as the "principal."'Power of attorney can be granted for one particular area of responsibility (like healthcare decisions), which is a "specific"' power of attorney. It can also be granted so that the agent has responsibility for all legal matters of the incapacitated person, including his or her financial affairs, which is a "general"' power of attorney.In addition to managing the affairs of the incapacitated person, the agent is required to keep records of any transactions and be prepared to present those financial records for review by the principal or other designated authority. In exchange, the agent will receive monetary compensation, as determined by the principal or the court.Granting power of attorney to another person is a major decision, which one should not take lightly. The document will allow that person full decision making authority in all aspects of the principal's life, so the attorney-in-fact should be chosen carefully and must be someone who can be trusted to make responsible decisions regarding the incapacitated person's health care and financial affairs.And because nobody knows when and how they may become incapacitated, either by an accident or a serious health event like a stroke, it is important to have a power of attorney drafted before one becomes unable to manage his or her own affairs. This allows a person to name someone they trust, define details like how financial records are to be reported and to whom, decide how much the agent should be paid, express end-of-life preferences like a do-not-resuscitate order, and document any other preferences.Free power of attorney forms are available online at sites like the'Lectric Law Library and the Forms Guru. The forms can be filled out by the person who wishes to plan for a power of attorney, avoiding extra costs of having an attorney prepare the document.