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District of Columbia Power of Attorney

A District of Columbia Healthcare Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants a person or organization the authority to make healthcare decisions for you, such as requesting or refusing specific medical treatments or procedures, if you cannot do so.

The individual granting permission is known as the "principal," and the people or entities obtaining powers are called the "agents." Designed for residents of Washington DC, our Power of Attorney can be used throughout the district. All District of Columbia PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be edited to address your particular situation. This official legal document will provide proof to financial institutions and other parties that your selected representative(s) can legally act in your interest when you are not present or able.

It is very simple to assign or receive the authority you need using a free District of Columbia Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make your document - Answer a few general questions and we will do the rest
2. Send and share - Go over the document with your agent or ask a lawyer
3. Sign and make it legal - Mandatory or not, witnesses/notarization are ideal

This method is, in many cases, notably less time-consuming than hiring a traditional lawyer. If needed, you may prepare a PoA on behalf of a relative, and then have them sign after you've drafted it. Keep in mind that for a Power of Attorney to be valid, the principal must be an adult who is mentally competent when they sign. In the event that the principal is already incapacitated and unable to make their own decisions, a conservatorship may be necessary. When managing this scenario, it's best for you to connect with an attorney.

Anyone who is over 18 ought to have a Power of Attorney. Though it can be painful to acknowledge, a day might come when you are not able to make important decisions on your own. There will also be moments when you are simply unavailable. Here are some typical occasions in which you may consider a PoA to be useful:

• You live in a residential care facility and want help managing your finances
• You are currently living abroad or out of state
• You would like to grant a trusted person power to make decisions on your behalf if you are legally incapacitated or absent
• You are getting older or dealing with limited mobility

Regardless of whether your District of Columbia Power of Attorney is being drafted as part of a long-term plan or made as a result of an unexpected emergency, notarization and witnesses can often help to protect your document if its validity is doubted by a third party.

Power of Attorney documents can be classified in multiple ways. They are primarily dependent on how long the powers will remain in effect, when they come into effect, and what they will provide authority over. Frequently, you will see them defined in these four segments:

• Durable Power of Attorney - Will remain in effect even if you become mentally incompetent or otherwise incapacitated
• Springing Power of Attorney - Will be activated based on certain events or criteria
• General Power of Attorney - Will grant broad powers over your affairs
• Special Power of Attorney - Will grant limited authority over selected matters

When generating your free District of Columbia Power of Attorney with Rocket Lawyer, you may elect to have the agent's authority start immediately upon signing, on a selected day, or only at the point when you are no longer capable. Your Power of Attorney may end upon your death or on a particular

District of Columbia Power of Attorney forms are normally straightforward, but you or your agent might need legal advice. Hiring a lawyer to review your District of Columbia Power of Attorney could be time-intensive and fairly expensive. An easier and more cost-effective alternative would be to go through Rocket Lawyer attorney services. If you sign up for a Premium membership, you can get your documents reviewed or ask specific questions. As always, Rocket Lawyer will be here to support you.

The fees associated with hiring and working with an attorney to write a Power of Attorney could range between $200 and $500, based on your location. Rocket Lawyer can offer much more protection than most other Power of Attorney template websites that you may come across. As a Rocket Lawyer member, you can get up to a 40% discount when hiring an attorney from our network.

With a Rocket Lawyer membership, you may make edits, download it as a PDF document or Word file, and/or print it. When you are ready to wrap up your Power of Attorney, it should be signed. Your agent(s), financial institutions, and other impacted parties should receive a copy of the final document.

The rules and restrictions governing PoA forms will vary in each state; however, in the District of Columbia, your document must be signed by a notary public. If your agent will have the authority to handle real estate transactions, the Power of Attorney will need to be signed by a notary and filed or recorded with your county.

See District of Columbia Power of Attorney law: Chapter 21