Getting POAs without a lawyer—any advice?

Legal Aid Society perhaps?

Mom did her POA (durable and health) with on-line documents provided by the state, Ohio. It is very easy to fill out. We just had the documents notarized.

Make sure you have a copy or original of the POA once done.
My mother wanted a POA for her children but didn't want us to have it in our hands so she put it in the safe. My fear was always she would go to hospital unconscious and i would have to go to her house before i could go to the hospital with it. Fortunately she was alert and told the hospital i had it but also was able to choose her own care.

Also a POA has many areas to choose from- for just medical, for POA over home and financial affairs. Make sure you check the correct boxes and read the whole form for choices.

blur24: As my attorney brother was not yet able to practice law in the state of Massachusetts where I was residing with my mother to provide care for her, I pulled up a PoA document at the local library and used a friend's brick and mortar business where his son was a Notary Public and we had a witness (myself).

Check with a local college that has a law school. They may have a pro bono program that students are able to help with documents for no charge. Then get them notarized. Maybe a large law firm too, they often do pro bono work for charity credit.

You don't need a lawyer to make a POA. You can get one online, fill it out, then sign it in front of a notary with as many witnesses as might be required in your state.

Social Security does not honor POAs. Recommend also opening a joint checking account with the same bank that her SS check is deposited so you can handle her finances, pay her bills. You'll need both a financial and medical POA. They can be together in one or separate.

I agree with the person who said "go to a Legal Aid society". All states have a lawyer referral service. Unless you are absolutely sure that no one would argue with any decision that the person designated as POA would make, go through a lawyer.

The cost might be minimal compared to the cost of the fighting on whether money was spent correctly and the discussion of whether a certain level of being "sick" has been reached or not.

When my Mom went to the emergency room which ended up as a hospital stay, the hospital had forms for the medical POA ready to be filled out and notarized. When I took a look at their doc, the only difference was that their form had their name on it, so that it would be invalid at a different hospital. Since my Mom already had a medical POA (and POLST), I didn't ask about the cost.

The lawyer that my Mom used to update her will, trust and all the different POAs, interviewed my Mom without us being there. Hence, we did not need a letter of competency. We all reviewed what was written, prior to my Mom signing in front of witnesses (the lawyer was a notary).

Oops, just remembered another thing. Remember that the financial POA is just for financial accounts and real estate that are in HER name. If financial accounts are in the name of a trust, her financial POA has no bearing on those accounts as the account holder is the trust and the wording within the trust determines how and who and under what circumstances, can someone else handle the money.

That was a surprise to me, however, when really thinking about it, it made total sense.

I have POA for my mother which was done by a lawyer. I don't recall it being specific to medical versus financial but I guess it must be both because I provide it for medical issues and pay all her bills.

A thought recently came to my mind and this might be an issue that would also provide information to the OP. I am listed on my mother's checking account with POA next to my name under her name. She really cannot write out any checks. I have heard from this site that POA does not exist after death. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me if that would mean I could not write checks after my mother dies. That might be an issue for the OP and perhaps it would be best for the party involved to have their name on an account but avoid the listing of POA after their name.

Just wondering if anyone could provide an answer to this issue.