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Tennessee Power of Attorney

A Tennessee Power of Attorney (PoA) is a legal document that gives a selected person or organization permission to manage financial matters on your behalf, such as accessing your bank account(s), selling real estate, and signing contracts.

The person granting control is called the "principal," and the individual or entity gaining authority is known as the "agent." Designed for Tennessee residents, this Power of Attorney can be used in Hamilton County, Davidson County, Knox County, and in all other regions in the state. All Tennessee PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be tailored for your unique scenario. Making this legal document will provide verification to financial institutions and other parties that your chosen agent can sign documents or take other actions for you when you are not present or able.

It is quick and easy to grant or receive the authority you may need with a free Tennessee Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the PoA - Answer a few simple questions and we will do the rest
2. Send and share - Discuss the PoA with your agent(s) or get legal advice
3. Sign it - Mandatory or not, notarization and witnesses are a best practice

This method will often be much more affordable and convenient than hiring and working with a traditional lawyer. If necessary, you can start this PoA on behalf of a family member, and then have them sign when ready. Please remember that for a Power of Attorney to be valid, the principal must be an adult who is mentally competent at the time of signing. In the event that the principal is already unable to make their own decisions, a court-appointed conservatorship may be required. When managing this situation, it's best to talk to a lawyer.

If you are over 18 years old, you ought to have a Power of Attorney. While it is tough to acknowledge, a time will likely come when you are no longer able to manage your affairs on your own. There will also be moments when you are simply out of reach. Here are a few typical situations in which a PoA would be helpful:

• You are planning to travel or move overseas either temporarily or permanently
• You are aging or have limited mobility
• You live in a residential care facility and want help managing your finances
• You wish to authorize someone to make decisions on your behalf in the event that you are incapacitated or absent

Whether your Tennessee Power of Attorney is being generated as part of a long-term plan or created in response to an unexpected issue, notarization and witnesses often help to protect your document if anyone challenges its authenticity.

PoA documents can be classified in multiple ways. They are mainly based on what powers will be granted, when they will come into effect, and how long they are valid. Frequently, you'll see them organized into these four buckets:

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

When making your free Tennessee Power of Attorney, you can choose to have the power start on a precise day, immediately, or only when you are no longer capable. Your Power of Attorney may terminate on a particular date or upon your death.

Tennessee Power of Attorney forms are usually straightforward, but you or your agent(s) could have legal questions. The answer can vary depending on whom you contact, but quite often some attorneys may not even agree to review your document if they didn't draft it. An easier approach might be through Rocket Lawyer On Call^® network of attorneys. By signing up for a Premium membership, you can request feedback from an experienced lawyer or send additional legal questions related to your Power of Attorney. We are here to support you.

The fees associated with meeting and hiring the average legal provider to produce a Power of Attorney can total anywhere between $200 and $500. Rocket Lawyer offers much more than most other Power of Attorney template websites that you may find elsewhere. As a Rocket Lawyer Premium member, you can get up to a 40% discount when hiring an attorney from our network.

Your Power of Attorney comes with a series of instructions on what comes next to finalize the document. You are encouraged to try any or all of the following actions with your PoA: editing it, downloading it in PDF format or as a Word file, printing it out, and/or signing it. Finally, you should provide a final copy of the signed document to your agent(s), financial institutions, and other impacted parties.

The specifications and restrictions for PoA forms are different in each state; however, in Tennessee, if you would like the PoA to remain in effect if/when you become incapacitated, then the document must be signed by two witnesses or notarized. If your agent will manage real estate transactions, the Power of Attorney will need to be signed by a notary and filed or recorded with your county. Finally, as a general rule, your witness(es) should be over 18 years old, and no witness should simultaneously be acting as your Power of Attorney agent.

See Tennessee Power of Attorney law: Title 34, Ch. 6, Part 1