Health Legal Forms FAQs
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Also known as a Living Will, it is a legal form that instructs other medical professionals what medical procedures or treatments they're able to perform when the patient is incompetent to make medical decisions due to injury or illness.
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It is a legal form that is signed by a physician informing other medical professionals to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments at a certain time. This form is usually completed out of personal preference, medical status, or religious views.
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Also known as a Health Care Proxy, it is a legal form that authorizes your assigned agent to make any medical related decisions on behalf of the patient when they're incompetent to make medical decisions due to injury or illness. Authority and time period may be limited depending on the patient at the time of signature.
** Keep in mind that most mental health providers (such as psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists, etc) will only accept a Medical Power of Attorney for Mental Health instead of a regular Medical Power of Attorney.
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Also known as a Durable Power of Attorney, it is a legal form that authorizes your assigned agent to make any financial related decisions on behalf of the patient when they're incompetent to make financial decisions due to injury or illness. Authority and time period may be limited depending on the patient at the time of signature.
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No. These legal forms DON'T require an attorney to complete. Only witnesses (18+ years) or a notary public.
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The assigned agent will be make the following decisions:
- Banking and other financial institutional transactions
- Benefits from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or other governmental, civil or military service
- Business operating transactions
- Claims and Litigation
- Commodity and option transactions
- Digital assets and the content of an electronic communication
- Estate, trust, and other beneficiary transactions
- Income tax or other tax matters
- Insurance and annuity transactions
- Personal and family maintenance
- Personal property stored at a safety deposit box or storage facility
- Real Estate property transactions
- Stock and bond transactions
- Tangible personal property transactions
The assigned agent can NOT make the following decisions:
- Create, amend, or destroy the contents of the original FPOA form.
- Create, amend, or destroy a Last Will or Trust on behalf of the principal/patient.
- Get married on behalf of the principal/patient.
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Some life-sustaining treatments are (but not limited to):
- Advance Airway Management
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Defibrillation
- Cardiac Pacing
- Artificial Ventilation
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Not necessarily. Most states only require the signatures of either: 2 competent adult witnesses or a notary public. Some states require BOTH witnesses and notary signatures.
In the U.S., some states/territories require the FPOA to be notarized as opposed to an Advance Directives or MPOA. Many financial institutions will require a notary signature even though some states or territories don't require it, especially if you're giving away the power to transact real estate. Notary signature is strongly recommended.
** When you any of purchase our legal forms, we have listed the requirements of every state near the signature line. Making it easy to complete the forms successfully.
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Not necessarily. Sometimes the principal/patient will specify when the form will take effect. Even if the patient is still sound mind after signing the forms, they can STILL make health or financial decisions. Think of these forms as a precautionary measure when the day comes that the principal/patient is not able to make decisions due to injury or illness.
The only form that can take effect at the time of signature, even if the principal/patient is still able to make decisions is the Financial Power of Attorney form.
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DNR, MPOA, FPOA, and Advance Directives forms are available to ALL individuals living in the United States 18 years or older regardless of citizenship or permanent residence status.
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Yes! As long as the principal/patient is still sound of mind and able to make decisions, they can fill out these legal forms regardless of care type.
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You can't change or amend anything of the form once it's signed. If changes are needed, the current form needs to be destroyed and the principal/patient needs to create a new one.
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Usually, these legal forms are voided by:
- Written document
- Termination Clause
- Destroying the document
- Principal/patient's death
- Expiration Date
** Keep in mind that once the Principal/patient dies, all of these forms are no longer active.