When to Change Your Power of Attorney

A power of attorney is an important aspect of an estate plan. Not only do estate plans set out designations for after your death, but also in the event that you become temporarily or permanently incapacitated during your life. A power of attorney designates who will take over your financial and legal affairs if something happens to you, and you can no longer handle them yourself.

Once you have a power of attorney in place, you might feel like you can rest easy. However, there are many situations in which you might want to update your power of attorney to a different individual. If you are considering this, speak with an estate planning lawyer in Seminole who can advise you while you review your estate planning documents.

You got divorced – A divorce will end your ex-spouse’s right to benefit from your will or trust. However, the law does nothing to automatically remove your ex-spouse as your power of attorney. Many people choose their spouse as their power of attorney, though you likely do not want your ex-spouse being in charge of your affairs with the authority to access your finances and make decisions down the line.

Your power of attorney passed away – If the person you chose as your power of attorney passes away, you will effectively have no power of attorney in place. It is important to update your document to someone who is living and healthy.

Your relationships changed – Someone you were once close to might drift away, you might move to a different state and lose touch, or the other person might begin to experience problems in their life that make them less trustworthy. There are many reasons why you simply might want to select someone else to be in charge of your affairs.

Contact an Experienced Estate Planning Lawyer in Seminole, Florida

If you want to change your power of attorney, a Seminole estate planning attorney at the Law Office of Julia J. McKee, Esq. can help. Call 727.266.5783 or contact us online today.