I am trying to find a free Durable Power of Attorney form to download. Could someone tell me where to find this?

I can't recommend one, though someone may know of a site. However, if you want something to stand up in court (and you never know if this could happen), it's generally best to have an attorney draw one up. They aren't really that expensive (at least mine wasn't). Good luck,
Carol

There are many sites out there. After searching several, I chose "Legacy Writers." The cost was minimal. You can print out as many copies as you need and they keep your original docs. on file. They also had up-to-date state forms (this is very important) and instructions on how to use them. (some states require witnesses for signatures, notarization, court filing, etc...) I would recommend printing out several copies of both your medical and financial PoAs and have them notarized.

I have used LegalZoom for my business docs. They are very professional.

Carol had a good point...if your situation is more complicated, a good elder attorney is the way to go.

The main thing is that the POA include and agree with the state general statutes concerning Durable and Medical POAs. Oftten a regular lawyer can do that.

CROWE:

You should be able to download -- or at least print -- a free durable power of attorney form from Google, Ask.com, or any other search engine. There's no advertising allowed in this forum, and any specific link I provide you with will be deleted.

-- ED

Yes, but you might also want to look up your own state's general statutes concerning POA and refer to those sections and paragraphs in the POA.

If someone fills it in and prints it out, it really needs to be witnesses by two people and stamped with a nortary. Many counties in various states really like for people to file the Durable POA with the register of deeds, but you don't have to. There are times when a business or financial group will require a certified copy of the Durable POA and that's when having it on file with the register of deeds comes in handy for they can make a certified copy. I've only had to do this one time.

Remember the POA consent must be signed by someone deemed competent. If you can afford it, an attorney is your best bet. The money spent to dot the i's and cross the t's could save you time, money, headache and heartache in the future.

I think the two POAs for my mother were $150 each.

Our county Department on Aging gave us the correct form for our state for free. It was very easy to fill out and just needed to be signed in front of a notary for $3 per signature. I think it cost us $9 total. We have needed to use it several times in the last few months and haven't had any problems.

I went to my local library and they had a book i could copy one out of that was relevant to my states laws. after having it signed my lawyer said it was the correct one.

Your state bar association website may also have free DPOA, Health Care Surrogate, and Advance Directive forms.

However, as mentioned above, you might be better off spending a few bucks to make sure you have it done right.

I am not a lawyer but I am sure I have examined over 1,000 DPOA's in my career. I would not hesitate to do one myself because I know what I am looking for and what I am doing.

You probably have little experience with such documents and you may be surprised by the "little things" that can trip you up once you try to put the power in effect.

If you shop carefully you should be able to find qualified counsel to do a complete set of estate planning documents (Revocable Trust, Pour-Over Will, DPOA, Health Care Surrogate, Living Will, Advance Directives) for under $700 for a couple ($400 individual).

In the end, though, some form of document is better then NO document (usually).

I used Legal Zoom for free. They ask questions along the way, which personalizes it for your situation. I downloaded the form and took my mom to a notary to sign it. You can have just 2 signatures but if you will need to do any property transactions, such as selling a house, you will need to have it notarized. This is a Durable POA. Health Care requires a separate Durable POA for Health Care.