Utah powers of attorney

Provo lawyers Help Utah Clients Achieve Their Elder Care and Estate Planning Goals with Utah Powers of Attorney

Fillmore Spencer Estate Planning

Top Probate Attorneys in Orem

Ensuring these powerful contingency tools are effective and not subject to abuse

Powers of attorney empower people you choose to legally act as your proxy in circumstances where you may not be capable of making decisions. Fillmore Spencer LLC in Provo helps you determine which powers of attorney can facilitate various aspects of your estate planning and long-term healthcare should you become incapacitated.

Woman doctor discussing about treatment and medicine with patient and family

When you Need Someone You Trust Making Decisions For You

What is Power of Attorney?

Utah Powers of attorney requirements

There are four requirements to issuing a power of attorney: (1) You must be able to understand what you are doing and your authorization must be (2) in writing and (3) notarized. And (4), the power is to be granted in connection with real property, with documentation filed with the recorder of the county where the property is located.

Otherwise, there is no need for witnesses or other complications. Just make sure the person who will exercise the power, also known as the “attorney-in-fact,” gets a copy of your authorization. That will come in handy if they need to prove to another party that they are responsible for representing you.

Powers of attorney abuse

The number of cases alleging powers of attorney abuse has risen in recent years. Seniors are finding that their adult children are improperly exercising their power of attorney when it comes to expense reimbursements and making bank withdrawals.

In Utah, a person who exploits an elderly person’s power of attorney to their advantage, or to the advantage of another, maybe found criminally liable. Fillmore Spencer LLC prosecutes and defends attorneys-in-fact in powers of attorney abuse cases.

We also help grantors carefully initiate powers of attorney, regularly review powers they have conferred, keep copies of their authorizations for reference against potential counterfeiting, and build in controls that limit attorney-in-fact capabilities (letting one child pay bills only $500 and less, another managing brokerage accounts, having each responsible for providing monthly or yearly accounting statements to other family members and your attorney).

"Only Put off until to tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone"

Pablo Picasso

Powers of attorney come in different varieties

A good estate planning attorney will help you determine which types of powers of attorney would be most appropriate for your estate plan:

  • Limited power of attorney — Authorizes the attorney-in-fact to act for you in a certain situation for a certain period of time.
  • General power of attorney — Authorizes the attorney-in-fact to take care of all of your affairs until you become incapacitated or die.
  • Durable power of attorney — A “durable” power of attorney means the attorney-in-fact is to continue to act on the grantor’s behalf should the grantor become incapacitated.
  • Medical power of attorney —Also called a healthcare power of attorney or a healthcare proxy, a durable medical power of attorney permits the attorney-in-fact to make medical and long-term healthcare decisions should you become incapacitated. If you create a living will, the attorney-in-fact can be ordered to uphold your requirements for healthcare and life-support decisions.
  • Financial power of attorney — While some financial powers of attorney are very simple and used for single transactions, such as closing a real estate deal, durable financial powers of attorney permit the attorney-in-fact to manage all of your financial affairs should you become incapacitated.

Powers of attorney should be carefully vetted by a qualified attorney

Fillmore Spencer LLC helps vet the value of powers of attorney to their estate plan, and helps grantors pursue cases alleging breach of attorney-in-fact fiduciary duty and unauthorized conversion of grantor property, seeking punitive damages wherever possible. For more information, call our Provo office at (801) 921-6562 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation.

Provo Law Office

Murray Law Office

St. George Law Office