Four Steps to Writing a Free Durable Power of Attorney

A.L. Kennedy reports:

"A durable power of attorney document gives another person the power to make your healthcare or financial decisions if you become incapacitated. The power to handle your affairs for you lasts for as long as you are unable to make decisions yourself. Writing your own free durable power of attorney may be a good choice if you are trying to handle your own end-of-life affairs at minimal costs...Write or type the date, your full name, and a statement that the document is your durable power of attorney and that you understand the powers the document gives another person if you are incapacitated. Put this information at the top of the page...Name the person to whom you wish to give power of attorney. You may also wish to include additional identifying information, such as his relationship to you or his address. Specify whether he should have durable power of attorney for healthcare decisions, financial decisions, legal decisions[,] or all three. Specify that the power of attorney should last only as long as you are unable to make decisions for yourself, and that it should expire once you regain the capacity to make your own decisions...Write down any specific instructions you wish to leave with the person to whom you are giving power of attorney...Sign and date your durable power of attorney at the bottom of the page. In most states, a durable power of attorney must be witnessed by at least two witnesses in order to be legal. Your witnesses should be of sound mind, at least eighteen years of age, not related to you[,] and not the person named to receive power of attorney in the document. Some states also require a durable power of attorney to be notarized in addition to being witnessed."