young adult power of attorney: everything you need to know

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

I could barely wrap my head around the fact that I was researching “Young Adult Power of Attorney” so I am pretty sure that many of you are in the same boat.

So like I’ve done with just about everything from teaching our kids their ABCs, to getting through the challenging shoe-tying, to getting them off to middle school and then (sob!) packing them up for college, I thought I’d share all that I know and all that YOU need to know about this super important step.

Remember: I am NOT an attorney. I am an educator mom with three kids (16, 18, and 19 years old!) who has done some research and wants to save you some time. If you have further questions, reach out to an attorney or even check out the FAQ on Mama Bear Legal forms.

What is a Young Adult Power of Attorney and why does my 18-year-old need one?

Simply: A young adult power of attorney (POA) is a super-important legal document that all kids should have when they reach 18 years of age because it authorizes parents to help their children manage important things, like health and finances. These important documents are especially important to have when–and if–adult children move or go to college out of state.

Soon after Maddy turned 18, before she left for Senior Week, pre-season cheer, then college, we used Mama Bear Legal Forms to help us create a POA.

(Some links may be affiliate links.)

Wait. I can’t make decisions for my kids after they turn 18?

Most parents assume that they have automatic authority to handle decisions for their adult children if they encounter an unexpected illness or accident that leaves them incapacitated, but they do not.

(I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THIS.)

Did you know that once a child turns 18, parents no longer have the authority to make medical decisions or financial decisions for their children, even if those parents are the ones footing the cell phone bills and paying for those kids to go to college?

Right. That’s where these power of attorney forms come in: these forms authorize parents to help their adult children manage financial, legal and health care decisions as needed.

What if I don’t have a young adult POA for my college student?

Without a power of attorney in place, parents are truly stuck if the child becomes incapacitated and has not signed POA. Rarely is a POA part of a parent’s estate plan or on the college packing list.

In some situations, family may be required to ask a court to appoint a guardian or conservator to handle decisions. This can be a complex and expensive process overseen by a court. Power of attorney forms eliminate this concern.

When do we get a Young Adult POA?

You can get all that you need right this very minute, and it will take you less than 10 minutes to complete.

An official witness must notarize the forms. Notarization, however, takes only minutes, and it usually costs only about $20.

Why did I choose Mama Bear Legal Forms?

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I chose Mama Bear POA Forms because they were comprehensive, quick, and complete. They had everything I needed to feel more comfortable and prepared when our kids turned 18.

From start to finish, the whole thing takes maybe 20 minutes.

And? I loved that Mama Bear has an app which keeps everything safe and sound on my phone as well.

How do we get started on our Young Adult Power of Attorney forms?

Click the button below which will take you to Mama Bear Legal Forms.

What if I want to make changes to the document?

Making changes to a power of attorney is easy, and it takes no time at all.

You can amend or revoke a power of attorney at any time by signing an updated version.

DID YOU KNOW:

• Once your student turns 18 years old, privacy laws make it extremely difficult to help in a crisis. If your child is at an in-state or out-of-state college, Mama Bear Legal Form’s POA documents solve this problem. They take less than 10 minutes to create. 

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• If your college-aged student gets sick or is in an accident, you may not be authorized to help them in an emergency.  You need a Mama Bear power of attorney.  With power of attorney documents, you can: 1.) Make health care decisions if your student is incapacitated; 2.) Avoid court-appointed guardians; 3.) Gain access to medial records in case of an emergency; 4.) Interact with landlords and insurance companies

• Powers of attorney aren’t designed to prevent young adults from making their own decisions or prevent you from having access to unnecessary medical information; rather, they give you the legal authority you need to help your adult children in an emergency.  

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• As a parent, we never want to think of the worst, but we must prepare ourselves to help.  Make sure you can easily communicate with your student’s healthcare and financial institutions in an emergency with Mama Bear Legal Forms’ Young Adult Power of Attorney Package.

• These documents are something you hope you’ll never use, but if your adult student has an unexpected health or financial emergency, these documents will give you peace of mind.  

​Get started with a young adult POA now

What should you do now?

Even before you’ve started gathering the basics–everything your child will need for the first year of college–do yourself a favor and take care of this.

We, as parents, put so much time into getting our kids their driver’s license, but we never talk about completing these important legal documents.

Please don’t hesitate.

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.