Your teenager worked hard throughout high school to get good grades so that applications could be made to the colleges of his or her choice. Now that the application process and the agonizing over selecting which college to attend are over, your soon-to-be college student is ready to embark on the next big chapter of life; however, there is still work to be done. Parents and students scurry all summer to gather and buy the essentials for what will hopefully be a comfortable and successful first year. This may mean buying a laptop, bedding or perhaps a new or used car. While these last weeks may be filled with parties and packing, one more important item should be added to the to-do list – the signing of a Power of Attorney and a Health Care Proxy to allow a parent to act on the student’s behalf in regard to financial and medical matters.
In New York, when a child turns 18, they are legally an adult and his or her parent can no longer make decisions or respond to inquiries on his or her behalf. As an agent appointed under a Power of Attorney, however, the student’s parent(s) can be given the authority to sign documents, gain access to the student’s financial accounts, and direct financial transactions for the student such as dealing with financial aid and paying tuition. As an agent appointed under a Health Care Proxy, a parent can make medical decisions for the student if the student is unable to make medical decisions for him or herself.
This year Makofsky Valente Law Group, P.C. is celebrating 30 years of providing caring legal services to our clients – a milestone we are proud to announce. As part of our efforts to commemorate our 30th anniversary, we are offering to prepare a Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy for the first 30 students who contact us, free of charge. To take advantage of this offer, the student needs to be 18 years of age or older. If your student is interested, please have him or her give us a call so we can chat about the preparation of the Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy and set an appointment to have the documents signed. We look forward to helping you send your student out into the world well prepared!