Dorothy Lawrence Explains the Power of Attorney

We often think we can manage all our affairs efficiently, rarely realizing that there may come a time when we are totally unable to handle our affairs. Due to some medical reasons, you may be unable to handle your affairs efficiently. If you are older, dementia can strike you at any moment, or maybe you are already struggling with it. You may, unluckily, meet an accident that may render you unable to deal with your affairs. Because of such unpredictable situations, you need to have someone trustworthy on your side to whom you can grant a power of attorney.

Dorothy K. Butler Lawrence, the owner of the Dorothy Butler Law Firm, says that a power of attorney allows an individual to give over legal authority to make certain decisions to another person (called an “agent”) in the event that the individual (the Principal) is not able to make that decision on their own (typically due to incapacity). Dorothy constantly educates people about the importance of valid powers of attorney on her Instagram, @yourtrendylawyer, and her Facebook page, @dorothybutlerlawfirm. A power of attorney gives an Agent or Attorney-in-Fact the power to act on behalf of another individual (the Principal). Basically, Dorothy says, the Agent can act on behalf of the Principal in three ways:

· Make medical decisions that the Principal cannot make on his or her own

· Handle the Principal’s financial and legal matters that he or she no longer can handle

· Make decisions on behalf of the Principal if the Principal has lost his or her mental capacity

Dorothy believes that a power of attorney is crucial to your estate plan. She encourages her clients to give the powers of attorney a serious thought because it’s better to have someone on your side that you can comfortably let handle your affairs. The Dorothy Butler Law Firm typically drafts powers of attorney for clients but also assists when previously-drafted powers of attorney aren’t sufficient by exploring guardianships or guardianship alternatives with clients.