Hanover, MI Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

If the last surviving parent died within the last year, your family needs to open an estate in the probate division of the circuit court in the county where the parent lived/died. You will need an attorney to help you with this. If it's been more than a year since the last parent died you can't open an estate but you will need to file a determination of heir ship in the probate division of the circuit court. You will also need an attorney for this.

Both are documents that must be signed by the person granting someone else the power to make decisions. A lawyer can prepare both documents. Models that you can find on the Internet may be valid, but they should be used with extreme caution. For instance, models on the Internet may contain grants of powers that you do not want someone else to have. An attorney can fully explain what these documents mean, and what they let someone else do on your behalf.

Check your state statutes or state bar association - many have POA forms available. There are two types of POA - one covers health care decisions, the other deals with financial actions. Your mother will need to sign the document and have it notarized. Most POAs indemnify the person granted the power to act unless the person willfully or intentionally causes harm or misuses the assets. Even without the POA, you should not be held liable for your mother's bills unless you agreed in writing to be responsible for them.