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Florida Healthcare Power of Attorney

A Florida Healthcare Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives someone else permission to make healthcare decisions for you, such as requesting or refusing specific medical treatments, when you cannot do so.

The person granting permission is known as the "principal," while the individuals or organizations gaining authority are called the "agents." Designed for Florida residents, our Power of Attorney for health care can be used in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and in all other counties across the state. All Florida Medical PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be tailored to address your specific situation. This essential document will provide confirmation to medical providers and other parties that your chosen representative(s) can make choices for you when you are not able.

It's very easy to give or receive the authority you may need with a free Florida Healthcare Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the document - Answer a few simple questions and we will do the rest
2. Send or share - Go over the document with your agent(s) or get legal help
3. Sign and make it legal - Required or not, notarization and witnesses are a best practice

This method, in many cases, would end up being notably less expensive and less time-consuming than hiring a conventional attorney. If needed, you can prepare this Medical PoA on behalf of your spouse or another relative, and then help them sign once you've drafted it. Please keep in mind that for a PoA form to be considered legally valid, the principal must be a mentally competent adult when they sign. In the event that the principal is already unable to make their own decisions, a conservatorship might be required. When facing this situation, it is best for you to talk to an attorney.

Anyone who is over 18 years old should have a Healthcare Power of Attorney. Though it is tough to acknowledge, a day might come when you are not able to make your own healthcare decisions. Here are some common occasions where you might find PoA forms to be helpful:

• You have been given a terminal diagnosis
• You plan to undergo an in-patient procedure requiring anesthesia
• You are planning to move into a community care facility
• You are aging or have declining health

Regardless of whether your Florida Healthcare Power of Attorney is being drafted as part of a long-term plan or produced in response to an unexpected emergency, notarization and witnesses are strongly recommended for protecting your document if its credibility is doubted.

Sometimes, in discussing the subjects of estate planning or elder care with healthcare or legal professionals, you might hear "healthcare power of attorney" and "healthcare proxy" being used interchangeably. In short, they're the same. That being said, you should keep in mind that it's entirely possible to establish power of attorney over affairs that aren't health-related, in which case, "proxy" typically is not the preferred term.

Florida Medical PoA forms are generally straightforward, but you could have questions. The answer will depend on whom you ask, but sometimes a lawyer will not even agree to review your document if they were not the author. An easier approach to consider is to get help via attorney services at Rocket Lawyer. As a Premium member, you have the ability to ask for advice from an attorney with relevant experience or get answers to additional questions related to your Healthcare Power of Attorney. As always, Rocket Lawyer is here to help.

The cost of finding and working with a conventional lawyer to draft a Medical Power of Attorney could range anywhere from $200 to $500. When using Rocket Lawyer, you aren't just filling out a Power of Attorney template. In case you ever require support from a lawyer, your Rocket Lawyer membership offers up to 40% in savings when you hire an On Call attorney.

Alongside your Power of Attorney, there's a set of tips for what is next after your document is completed. Feel free to engage with the PoA in all of the following ways: making edits, printing it out, and/or signing it. Finally, be sure that your agent(s) and care providers get their copy of the fully executed document.

The guidelines and restrictions vary in each state; however, in Florida, your document will need to be signed by two witnesses. Only one of your witnesses may be your spouse or another relative. Finally, as a basic standard, witnesses will need to be at least 18 years old, and none of them should simultaneously be your agent.

See Florida Healthcare Power of Attorney law: Chapter 765, Part II