Back to school, 18 or 80
Consider this: if your 18 year old is going away to college, you need the same thing from them as you do from your 80 year old parents.
What could that be? A power of attorney and a medical directive.
You know your elderly parents may require your help or intercession in medical or financial matters, but do you realize that once your child turns eighteen your rights as their parent cease to exist.
You can no longer handle money for them, or at times even talk to their doctors.
It makes no matter if you're spending $40,000 a year to send them to school, or if they are 20 or 2000 miles away.
You have no longer have the rights you once took for granted.Imagine if you child became ill at school, or if they went to Mexico for Spring break parties and became ill, or were involved in some sort of trouble, or studied in Europe for a year. Under the HIPAA or Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, it makes no difference if they're on your insurance plan, or you're paying their bills out of pocket -- the health care people can choose not to discuss your child's condition if you lack the proper documents. If your child is outside the USA, you cannot deal with the US Consulate or Embassy. Or -- to add insult to injury to a parent who has scrimped and saved to take on their child's tuition, plus room and board, many schools will not disclose grades without a student’s permission. To deal with their finances or their doctors or even to see how they're doing in school and what classes they are taking , you will need these two legal documents.
We can prepare these documents customized for you while giving you a full understanding of the ramifications of all the details, and what's more, give you some tips on how to obtain the signature of your child. You know the story is age old..."when I was 18 my father was helplessly dense, but by the time I became 30, he had developed profound wisdom". If you have raised your child with an appreciation for the 'give-and-take' of life - do your chores, then get your reward, etc. - the outlays you are making for their tuition and sustenance for the next four years or more should help them realize some compromise on certain things is called simply reasonable.