Power of Attorney in Las Vegas

Helping You Feel Prepared for Your Future

If you’re looking for a way to get peace of mind when you think about the future, you might be considering creating an estate plan with the help of a Nevada attorney. While trusts and wills are certainly essential tools to use, so is a power of attorney (POA). This legal document gives a trusted person legal authority to make important decisions on your behalf if you become too incapacitated to do so yourself.

At Trusted Estate Planning Attorneys, we understand that creating a power of attorney and assigning an agent – also called an attorney-in-fact – can be a complicated process. That’s why we’re here to assist you with every step so you can rest assured that a trusted agent will be prepared to make medical and financial decisions for you if necessary. Call our Las Vegas, Nevada, law office to get started.

What Types of Powers of Attorney Can Nevada Residents Make?

When you make a power of attorney in Nevada, you can decide if you want your chosen attorney-in-fact to have broad powers concerning any area of your life or limited powers over specific aspects, such as your finances or healthcare decisions. A Las Vegas lawyer can help you decide which option is right.

If you choose to give your agent broad powers, you can make a general power of attorney. This gives your agent authority to handle your financial decisions, medical decisions, business deals, real estate transactions, and more. For example, they could manage your bank account, decide what end-of-life care you receive, and buy or sell property in your name.

If you prefer to assign someone to handle only your financial matters, you can make a financial power of attorney document. This will give your agent the power to pay bills from your bank account, sign checks, file taxes, and generally manage your financial affairs.

Another common type of power of attorney you can make in Nevada is a health care power of attorney. While your advance directive or similar legal document should outline the health care procedures you do and don’t want, doctors often have questions that this document doesn’t answer. If you’re too incapacitated to answer these questions, the medical staff will look at your healthcare power of attorney to identify your healthcare agent. This person can make various medical decisions for you, including whether you wish to accept or refuse certain medications and medical procedures during treatment.

If you’re unsure if you need a general, healthcare, or financial power of attorney, contact our Las Vegas law firm to discuss your options with a skilled lawyer. Our legal team can review the powers you want your agent to have if you’re incapacitated and decide which power of attorney document you’ll need to fill out. Call today for a consultation.

How Long Does a Nevada Power of Attorney Last?

You can decide how long you want your power of attorney to be in effect. This often depends on why you want to put a power of attorney in place and what tasks you want your agent to handle for you.

A durable power of attorney can begin immediately or on a specific date. This type of POA remains effective even after you become incapacitated, expiring only after you pass away or choose to revoke it. A durable power of attorney is common for people who need a health care power of attorney or a financial POA so the agent can make important decisions on their behalf.

On the other hand, a non-durable power of attorney is only in effect while you maintain your mental capacity and simply need someone to act on your behalf when you’re unavailable to sign documents, agree to a business deal, or make other decisions. It ends if you become incapacitated.

A springing power of attorney becomes effective only after a specific event occurs, usually if you become incapacitated. If you regain your mental capacity, the springing POA typically becomes invalid unless the terms of the power of attorney document state otherwise.

A limited power of attorney is only in effect for a specific period of time, such as the time it takes to complete a particular task. For example, you can make a limited power of attorney so your agent can complete a real estate deal or sign paperwork on your behalf while you’re out of town. Once the task is done, the limited power of attorney becomes invalid.

If you need legal guidance on whether you need a durable power of attorney or a more limited one, contact us to speak with lawyers who have your best interests in mind and are happy to help you with this decision.

Can You Revoke a Power of Attorney?

Whether a power of attorney is supposed to end on a specific date or after the principal’s death, it is possible to revoke it before then if necessary. You will need to prove you are of sound mind and then submit the necessary documents to revoke the original POA and replace it with a new one, as you can’t modify an existing POA. A lawyer can assist you with this process.

For instance, if you no longer want your current agent to have legal authority over you, you must revoke the document before submitting a new POA listing an updated agent. This is common after divorce.

You might also decide to modify the terms of the power of attorney document or create a new one after moving to a different state. Our team can assist with this to ensure your previous POA is no longer valid according to the court and is replaced with a new one, so call us for help with this task.

Do You Need a Power of Attorney in Las Vegas?

If you want to learn about the benefits of making a Nevada power of attorney, we encourage you to come to our Las Vegas law firm for legal assistance. The team at Trusted Estate Planning Attorneys has helped numerous clients understand the legal tools available to them, from wills and trusts to financial and healthcare powers of attorney.

Whether you’re not sure which options are right for your estate plan or are ready to make a durable POA today, we’re here to help you. We understand the importance of having peace of mind when considering your future, so our goal is to help you rest assured that you and your family members are financially prepared for common life events. If you’re ready to learn more about how power of attorney services can benefit you and your family, call our Las Vegas law offices at 702-664-8858 for a free consultation.