Appoint a healthcare agent in Colorado: Colorado Medical Power of Attorney
What is a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney?
A Colorado Medical Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants a trusted person or organization permission to make healthcare decisions on your behalf, such as accepting or refusing specific medical treatments, when you cannot do so.
The individual granting permission is known as the "principal," and the individual or entity gaining powers is called the "agent." Suited for Colorado residents, this Power of Attorney for health care can be used in El Paso County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, and in every other part of the state. All Colorado Healthcare PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be fully personalized for your unique situation. As a result of having this essential document, your representative(s) will be able to provide verification to healthcare facilities and other parties that they can make choices for you.
When to use a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney:
- You're ready to hand over your health care-making decisions to a trusted person if you become incapacitated.
- You're healthy, but want to plan ahead.
- You've been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
How do I get my Colorado Medical Power of Attorney reviewed?
If you already have a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney and want to have it reviewed, or if you have questions about creating or using one, there are a few ways to get help.
Use Rocket Copilot to ask questions or review your document; this helps you better understand what it says and identify anything that may need a closer look.
If you are looking for help from a Legal Pro, you can also ask a question and receive a response within one business day, or request a more in-depth document review.
What is a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney?
A Colorado Medical Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants a trusted person or organization permission to make healthcare decisions on your behalf, such as accepting or refusing specific medical treatments, when you cannot do so.
The individual granting permission is known as the "principal," and the individual or entity gaining powers is called the "agent." Suited for Colorado residents, this Power of Attorney for health care can be used in El Paso County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, and in every other part of the state. All Colorado Healthcare PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be fully personalized for your unique situation. As a result of having this essential document, your representative(s) will be able to provide verification to healthcare facilities and other parties that they can make choices for you.
When to use a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney:
- You're ready to hand over your health care-making decisions to a trusted person if you become incapacitated.
- You're healthy, but want to plan ahead.
- You've been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
How do I get my Colorado Medical Power of Attorney reviewed?
If you already have a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney and want to have it reviewed, or if you have questions about creating or using one, there are a few ways to get help.
Use Rocket Copilot to ask questions or review your document; this helps you better understand what it says and identify anything that may need a closer look.
If you are looking for help from a Legal Pro, you can also ask a question and receive a response within one business day, or request a more in-depth document review.
Sample Colorado Medical Power of Attorney
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MEDICAL DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY
. DESIGNATION OF HEALTH CARE AGENT. I, , of , , appoint
| Agent Name: |
| Address: |
| , |
| Phone: | Home: Work: |
| Relation, if any: |
as my Agent to make health care and personal decisions for me if I become unable to make such decisions for myself, except to the extent I state otherwise in this document.
NOTICE: Generally you should not appoint any of the following persons as your Agent:
1. your treating physician or health care provider;
2. an employee of your physician or health care provider unless the person is your relative;
3. your residential care provider; or
4. an employee of your residential care provider unless the person is your relative.
The term "health care" as used in this document includes all medical treatment, the provision, withholding or withdrawal of any health care medical procedure, including surgery, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or service to maintain, diagnose, treat or provide for a patient's physical or mental health or personal care, unless such authority is otherwise limited by this document.
. CREATION OF MEDICAL DURABLE POWER OF ATTORNEY. By this document I intend to create a Durable Power of Attorney. This Durable Power of Attorney shall take effect upon my disability, incapacity, or incompetency, and shall continue during such disability, incapacity, or incompetency.
. GENERAL STATEMENT OF AUTHORITY GRANTED. Subject to any limitations in this document, I grant to my Agent full power and authority to make health care decisions for me to the same extent that I could make such decisions for myself if I had the capacity to do so. My Agent authority to direct the withdrawal and withholding of artificially provided food and fluids. In making any decision, my Agent shall attempt to discuss the proposed decision with me to determine my desires if I am able to communicate in any way.
In exercising this authority, my Agent shall make health care decisions that are consistent with my desires as stated in this document or otherwise made known to my Agent. If my desires regarding a particular health care decision are not known to my Agent, then my Agent shall make the decision for me based upon what my Agent believes to be in my best interests.
. AUTOPSY, ANATOMICAL GIFTS, DISPOSITION OF REMAINS. I to make anatomical gifts of part or all of my body for medical purposes, authorize an autopsy, and direct the disposition of my remains.
I hereby make an anatomical gift, to be effective upon my death, of
I hereby make an anatomical gift, to be effective upon my death, of
SECOND ALTERNATE AGENT
| Agent Name: |
| Address: |
| , |
| Phone: | Home: Work: |
. NOMINATION OF GUARDIAN. If a Guardian of my person is to be appointed for me, I nominate my Agent (or Alternate Agent) to serve as my Guardian.
. NOMINATION OF GUARDIAN. If a Guardian of my person is to be appointed for me, I nominate
| Name: |
| Address: |
| , |
to serve as my Guardian.
. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. HOLD HARMLESS. All persons or entities who in good faith endeavor to carry out the terms and provisions of this document shall not be liable to me, my estate, my heirs or assigns for any damages or claims arising because of their action or inaction based on this document, and my estate shall defend and indemnify them.
2. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this document is held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions which can be given effect without the invalid provision, and to this end the directions in this document are severable.
3. STATEMENT OF INTENTIONS. It is my intent that this document be legally binding and effective. If the law does not recognize this document as legally binding and effective, it is my intent that this document be taken as a formal statement of my desire concerning the method by which any health care decisions should be made on my behalf during any period in which I am unable to make such decisions.
(YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN THIS DOCUMENT)
(YOU MUST DATE AND SIGN THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY)
I have read and understand the contents of this document and the effect of this grant of powers to my Agent. I am emotionally and mentally competent to make this declaration.
Signed on _____ day of _______________, _____.
| Signature: | ________________________________________ |
| Name: |
| Address: |
| County |
STATEMENT OF WITNESSES
I declare that the person who signed or acknowledged this document () is personally known to me, that signed or acknowledged this document in my presence, that the appears to be of sound mind, and under no duress, fraud or undue influence. I am not the person appointed as Agent or Alternate Agent by this document, nor am I a provider of health or residential care, an employee of a provider of health or residential care, the operator of a community care facility, or an employee of an operator of a health care facility.
I further declare that I am not related to by blood, marriage, or adoption, and to the best of my knowledge, I am not a creditor of or entitled to any part of the estate of under a will now existing or by operation of law. I do not presently have a claim against the estate of at the death of . If is a patient or resident of a health care facility, I am not a patient of that facility.
| Witness Signature: | ________________________________________ |
Date: ______________________________
| Witness Signature: | _________________________________________ |
Date: ______________________________
State of _________________________,
County of _________________________ ss:
On this _____ day of _______________, _____, , known to me (or satisfactorily proven) to be the person named in the foregoing instrument, personally appeared before me, a Notary Public, within and for the said State and County, and acknowledged that he/she freely and voluntarily executed the same for the purposes stated in the document.
My commission expires: _____________________
_____________________________________
Notary Public
Colorado Medical Power of Attorney FAQs
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How can I get a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney form for free?
It is very easy to grant or receive the authority you might need using a free Colorado Medical Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:
- Make the PoA - Provide a few details and we will do the rest
- Send and share - Look over the PoA with your agent or ask a Legal Pro
- Sign it - Required or not, witnesses and notarization are encouraged
This solution, in many cases, will end up being much more affordable than finding and hiring your average law firm. If needed, you can start this Medical PoA on behalf of your spouse, an elderly parent, or another relative, and then help that person sign once you've drafted it. Please remember that for a Power of Attorney to be accepted as valid, the principal must be mentally competent when they sign. If the principal is already unable to make their own decisions, a court-appointed conservatorship may be necessary. When facing this situation, it is important to talk to an Legal Pro.
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Who should have a Power of Attorney for healthcare in Colorado?
Anyone who is over 18 should have a Medical Power of Attorney. Though it's tough to acknowledge, a day will likely come when you are no longer able to make your own healthcare decisions. Here are a few common occasions in which you might consider a PoA to be helpful:
- You are preparing to move into a community care facility
- You are managing a terminal condition
- You are getting older or dealing with ongoing health issues
- You will be planning to undergo a medical procedure requiring anesthesia
Regardless of whether this Colorado Medical Power of Attorney has been prepared as part of a forward-looking plan or made as a result of an unexpected issue, witnesses and/or notarization are strongly encouraged as a best practice for protecting your document if anyone doubts its authenticity.
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Are a Colorado Healthcare Proxy and a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney different things?
At times, in discussing the subjects of elder care and estate planning with medical or legal professionals, you might hear the terms "healthcare power of attorney", "medical power of attorney" and "healthcare proxy" being used together. In reality, they're the same. That said, please keep in mind that it's certainly possible to get power of attorney over affairs that are not related to health care. In that case, "proxy" typically is not the preferred term.
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Should I hire an attorney for my Colorado Medical PoA?
It’s a good idea to have important documents like your Colorado Medical Power of Attorney reviewed before signing, so you fully understand your choices and help avoid unintended outcomes. The problem is that some attorneys may not review documents they didn’t prepare, while others may require a retainer or high hourly fees. This can make getting a legal review of your Colorado Medical Power of Attorneydifficult and time-consuming.
Rocket Lawyer makes the process easier. With Rocket Lawyer, you can request a review from a Legal Pro or ask questions about your document. You can also use Rocket Copilot to review your document, identify potential issues, and check that everything is complete before signing.
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What would I typically need to pay to get a Power of Attorney form for health care in Colorado?
Attorney fees for drafting or reviewing a Colorado Medical Power of Attorney can vary widely. Many lawyers charge hourly rates that may range from around $100 for less experienced attorneys to $350 or more per hour for highly experienced attorneys in major metropolitan areas. For more routine documents, some attorneys may offer flat-fee pricing.
The total cost will depend on several factors, including your location, the attorney’s experience, and the complexity of your agreement. More documents or situations involving negotiation will typically require more time and increase the overall cost.
With Rocket Lawyer, you can create a personalized Colorado Medical Power of Attorney tailored to your specific needs—without the high cost typically associated with hiring a lawyer. If you have questions or want additional peace of mind, you can also get your document reviewed or ask a Legal Pro for guidance.
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Does a Medical Power of Attorney need to be notarized, witnessed, or recorded in Colorado?
The laws for PoA forms are different by state; however, in Colorado, neither witnesses nor notarization are legally required. That said, both are recommended to help reinforce the authenticity of your document. Finally, as a basic standard, witnesses will need to not be under 18 years old, and no witness should also be acting as your Power of Attorney agent.
See Colorado Medical/Healthcare Power of Attorney law: C.R.S. Title 15, Article 18.5
