It may be unpleasant to imagine being incapacitated and relying on a friend or family member in Georgia to make important decisions and take care of your responsibilities while you are unable to. By planning ahead, though, you have the advantage of being able to choose the person who you trust most to take care of your assets, pay your bills and decide what medical care you will have.
Our legal team at John Edwards Law Group, LLC often assists clients in setting up powers of attorney as part of their comprehensive estate plan. According to GeorgiaGov, there are two basic types of powers of attorney in Georgia: a general power of attorney and a special power of attorney.
If you want someone to be able to manage all your financial, medical and personal affairs for you, then you will probably want to consider the general power of attorney. A special power of attorney sets limits on the authority of your agent to certain decisions and circumstances. In either case, consider your choice of agent carefully, choose a backup agent, and make sure both people are willing and able to fill the role if you are incapacitated.
Once you have chosen an agent and created the document, you can change your mind. Simply cancel the power of attorney by signing a document revoking the old one, or by shredding the document, revoking it orally and having a witness present who can attest to the revocation.
More information regarding your advance planning options is available on our webpage.