Though it's unpleasant to think about, there may come a time when you aren't able to make important decisions for yourself. Whether it's after a serious accident, a major illness, or even just a temporary time away, you can make a plan now and designate someone to make decisions on your behalf. A Power of Attorney grants legal permission for another person or organization (an "agent") to act on your behalf if you're not able to do so. You can choose for this power to begin immediately, on a specific date, or at any time when you become incapacitated. The powers granted in the Power of Attorney can terminate either on a specific date or upon your death.

You may designate the Power of Attorney as "general," granting broad powers to control your financial, health, legal, and other matters, or "special," granting power for only specific situations.

The Missouri Power of Attorney is specific to the laws of the state of Missouri and should be created by residents of Missouri and signed in front of a Missouri notary public.