For those of you with young adults heading off to college, have you considered what you would do if your child became ill and you needed to make decisions for them in the hospital? Once your child is over 18, you do not have the same rights to make decisions or get information on their behalf. With the Covid-19 situation right now, this issue is even more critical.
We recommend getting a Healthcare Power of Attorney (POA) on your kids as they head off to college. Our office has annually hosted a day where these forms can be created. However, not everyone is able to participate. As kids head off to school this fall and with the ongoing Pandemic, I wanted to emphasize the importance of this document.
You do not need an attorney to prepare this form however you will need a witness. The link to the Illinois form is below:
http://www.dph.illinois.gov/sites/default/files/forms/powerofattorneyhealthcareform.pdf.
Most states have their form online that you can access and fill out. While this form is often accepted out of state, you should check with the specific state that your child will be attending school in to make sure.
If you are not a “do-it-yourselfer” type of person, you can access a “done for you” option via the web. One source is https://www.mamabearlegalforms.com/youngadult. While I don’t recommend online forms for your own will or trust typically, these should work fine for your young adult needs.
Good luck and stay safe. If you prefer to work with a local attorney for this, we are able to refer you to one. Please call us.