A Living Will

Many of us are aware of the important of having a Will. A Will tells the executor of the estate on how to distribute the personal and financial assets of a deceased person. While some of us have one and some are getting around to organising one. It is well understood the need of having a Will.

However there is one equally important document that everyone need to be aware of. This document give your family authority to manage your personal and financial matters while you are still alive but severely ill or critically injured. This document “The Enduring Power of Attorney” have a few purposes, there are:

Financial

• Enduring Power of Attorney 
• Enduring Power of Attorney with Instructions

Medical Treatment

• Enduring Power of Attorney  
• Power of Attorney with Instructions

Guardianship

• Enduring Power of Guardianship
• Enduring Power of Guardianship with Instructions

Others

• Consent to disclosure of Medical and personal information

Upon sudden illness or injury a person’s bills must still be paid and other personal matter needs tending. Having an Enduring Power of Attorney will give the family members’ access to his or her finances and will help organise the person’s personal needs and medical treatments. This Power of Attorney usually gets activated when a person becomes physical unable or mentally impaired.

It is important that one gets legal advice when getting one done. The Enduring Power of Attorney (Financial and Medical) information here should be considered general in nature, and in no way interpreted as legal advice. You must always seek your own independent legal, accounting and financial advice about your particular situation.

The summary on this page is for information purposes only.


Read more: Take control published by the Office of Public Advocate, Victoria, Australia