Ever wondered who would make a decision for you if you couldn’t? Can your spouse do this for you by law without something in place? Could your children? What do they need to have in place to be sure they can speak for you if you are incompetent or unable to make decisions? In North Carolina, you would need to sign a General Power of Attorney and a Health Care Power of Attorney for another person to be able to speak for you. The General Power of Attorney covers any decisions other than healthcare, such as writing checks, paying bills, or managing your financial affairs. The Health Care Power of Attorney provides direction concerning medical decisions. Both are necessary for your agents, the people you are naming to make decisions when you can’t, to have full authority over your affairs and can only be signed by you while you are competent. Therefore, we recommend that, whether you are young or old, you consider these documents. You never know when things will happen in life and you won’t be able to say what you want or take care of your affairs, so it is good to plan ahead, and is a gift to your family as they may not have to go through court, if you have these documents in place and properly executed. To speak to a caring lawyer about a power of attorney, please give us a call. We look forward to helping you!