Many people, especially young people, assume that they’ll never require a power of attorney. They are under the impression that if something should happen to them or their spouse, their family would be able to make the right decisions. But the truth is that, in the event that you are unable to make those decisions for yourself, the legal system gets to decide. Essentially, the courts and government will make the determination about what happens to your assets and property. Without legal protection in the form of a power of attorney for Texas residents, your loved ones will have virtually no say in what occurs.
A power of attorney is an important document that lays out your wishes about what should happen if you are unable to make your own choices. Through this document, you are appointing a representative (referred to as your attorney) to act as your proxy in order to carry out your wishes. You may not realize the ways in which having a Texas Legal power of attorney could help you. To that end, here are some surprising reasons why you may need a Texas Legal power of attorney.
Divorce proceedings
In terms of legal assistance, most people think a divorce lawyer will be all they need. But power of attorney documents and appointments can be vital to divorce proceedings. This is especially true if one spouse is disabled, is incarcerated, is hospitalized, or is otherwise unable to make decisions for himself or herself. Although 66 percent of divorced couples in the U.S. are childless, having power of attorney documents is important for laying out a parent’s wishes for custody, child support, or other complicated issues. Having everything in writing — and having access to a legal representative — can only help you in this situation.
Pet ownership
For many of us, our pets are like our children. We love them and take care of them, and we hope nothing ever happens to them. But if something happens to us, what happens to our pets? A power of attorney document can provide instructions about how you want your pet to be cared for in the event that you are unable to continue care yourself. You can even give instructions about dispensing money to your pet’s new owners, or about preferred vet care, toys, food, or anything other pet-care issues.
Medications
If you’ve had a bad reaction to certain medications in the past, you can actually use a power of attorney document to outline your specific wishes about that medicine. This is commonly used for those who have taken anti-psychotics and want to make sure they aren’t subjected to being medicated against their will. Having a living will can also be important, but having a power of attorney document does more than simply outline your wishes for your end of life — it relays information about how you wish to be treated and about who will carry out those wishes.
Religion
If your religion or cultural beliefs dictate certain decisions you make, you can include those in your Texas Legal power of attorney documents. If you are unable to communicate or make your own decisions in the moment, but you have laid out that keeping a kosher diet or abstaining from using animal products is important to you, these wishes must be followed and enforced.
In addition to these surprising reasons, some of the more conventional reasons for using a Texas Legal power of attorney include control of your or your spouse’s finances and care decisions. Having a power of attorney document can also be of significant help to your family, in order to avoid a lengthy and costly court-based decision that may not reflect what you would have wanted.
For all of these reasons, it’s important that everyone has access to an affordable legal plan, and specifically, a Texas Legal power of attorney. To learn more about how our legal services plans can help you, please contact us today.