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The Durable Power of Attorney

By Ryan Denman
Duffy Law Office

For most people, the durable power of attorney is the most important estate planning instrument available – even more useful than a will. A power of attorney allows a person you appoint (your “attorney-in-fact” or “agent”) to act in place of you (the “principal”) for financial purposes, when and if you ever become incapactated.
In that case, the person you choose will be able to step in and take care of your financial affairs. Without a durable power of attorney, no one can represent you unless a court appoints a conservator or guardian. That court process takes time, costs money, and the judge may not choose the person you would prefer. In addition, under a guardianship or conservatorship, your representative may have to seek court permission to take planning steps that could be implemented immediately under a simple durable power of attorney.

A power of attorney may be limited or general. A limited power of attorney may give someone the right to sign a deed to property on a day when you are out of town or may allow someone to sign checks for you. A general power is comprehensive and gives your attorney-in-fact all the powers and rights that you have yourself.

A power of attorney may also be either current or “springing.” Most powers of attorney take effect immediately upon their execution, even if the understanding is that they will not be used unless the grantor becomes incapacitated. However, the document can also be written so that it does not become effective until such incapacity occurs,

Attorneys often report that their clients are experiencing increasing difficulty in getting banks or other financial institutions to recognize the authority of an agent under a durable power of attorney. A certain amount of caution on the part of financial institutions is understandable. When someone steps forward claiming to represent the account holder, the financial instutution wants to verify that the attorney-in-fact indeed has the authority to act for the principal.

Still, some institutions go overboard, for example requiring that the attorney-in-fact indemnify them against loss. Many banks or other financial institutions have their own standard power of attorney forms. To avoid problems, you may want to execute such forms offered by the institutions with which you have accounts. In addition, many attorneys counsel their clients to create living trusts in part to void this sort or problem with powers of attorney.