What’s Wrong With Getting A Durable Power of Attorney Off the Internet?

In today’s world, legal ‘forms’ are available online. Companies such as Legal Zoom make it look easy to a consumer – you download the form, fill it in, and get it witnessed and notarized. What you don’t know is:

• An internet form will not engage in a conversation with you to learn important details about your life, finances, the most appropriate person to serve as your financial agent and other important issues.
• An internet form will not ask you if you have been diagnosed with an illness or disease that would require certain language to be included in your Durable Power of Attorney to qualify you for Medicaid or Veteran benefits.
• If your Durable Power of Attorney is not correctly written and you later become incapacitated, there is a possibility that an elder law attorney will not be able to write a new Durable Power of Attorney. A court-supervised guardianship may then be required, which will be expensive and result in a loss of privacy.
• It is important that people have a legal plan created when they are competent, can engage in conversation, and understand their options.

You deserve a legal plan tailored to your unique situation and goals. It is not ‘one size fits all.’ Invest in your future and consult with an experienced or Board-Certified Elder Law Attorney. I work with clients living in Florida and can meet in person or by video conference. If you are reading this blog and don’t live in Florida, contact the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (www.naela.org) to find an elder law attorney in your locale.