A lawyer explains why a power of attorney is the most dangerous document he drafts. It gives someone else control over your finances and medical decisions, often without your knowledge. You need absolute trust in whoever you name, because they can act on your behalf in ways you may never find out about.
Chapters
The most dangerous document a lawyer can draft for a client is not a lawsuit, it's not a trust, or it's not a will. It's a power of attorney. Here are 3 things about a power of attorney that you need to know. Thing 1, they are oh so powerful. It is one of the most powerful documents that exists. It gives someone else the ability to make all financial and medical decisions on your behalf. And the document gives them the power to do all of these things without your involvement and without your knowledge. Thing 2, there are many different types of powers of attorney. You can have one for financial matters, for healthcare matters. You can have one that creates the power for a certain period of time, one that goes away if the person giving it is incapacitated, one that continues regardless of incapacitation. And thing 3, you must have absolute confidence in the person you're giving it to. In other words, you trust this person with your life. There must be no doubt that this person will act in your best interest at all times.