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South Dakota Healthcare Power of Attorney

A South Dakota Healthcare Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives a selected person or entity permission to make healthcare decisions for you, such as accepting or refusing certain medical treatments or procedures, if you cannot do so.

The individual giving permission is called the "principal," and the individual or organization obtaining powers is called the "agent." Designed for residents of South Dakota, our Power of Attorney for health care can be used in Minnehaha County, Pennington County, Lincoln County, and in all other parts of the state. All South Dakota Medical PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be fully personalized to address your specific scenario. This essential document will provide confirmation to medical facilities and other parties that your agent(s) can act in your interest when you are not able.

It's quick and easy to grant or receive the support you need with a free South Dakota Healthcare Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the PoA - Provide a few simple details and we will do the rest
2. Send and share it - Look over the PoA with your agent or ask a legal question
3. Sign it - Optional or not, notarization/witnesses are recommended

This solution will often end up being notably less expensive than meeting and hiring the average provider. If necessary, you can start a Medical PoA on behalf of a family member, and then have them sign when ready. Please note that for a Power of Attorney to be considered valid, the principal must be an adult who is mentally competent when they sign. If the principal has already been declared incompetent, a conservatorship could be required. When managing such a scenario, it's best to speak with a lawyer.

Everyone over 18 years old should have a Healthcare Power of Attorney. Although it can be challenging to think about, there might come a time when you cannot make healthcare decisions on your own. Common occasions in which you may find PoA forms to be helpful include:

• You have plans to live in a residential care facility
• You are currently managing a terminal illness
• You are getting older or dealing with ongoing health issues
• You are planning for an upcoming medical procedure or a hospitalization

Regardless of whether your South Dakota Healthcare Power of Attorney is being made as a result of an urgent issue or as part of a forward-looking plan, witnesses and/or notarization are strongly recommended as a best practice for protecting your agent if their power and authority are doubted.

At times, in discussing the subjects of elder care and/or estate planning with healthcare or legal professionals, you or a loved one may hear "healthcare proxy" and "healthcare power of attorney" being used together or interchangeably. In reality, they are the same. That said, you should keep in mind that it is certainly possible to establish power of attorney over affairs that aren't health-related, in which case, "proxy" is not normally used.

South Dakota Medical PoA forms are typically straightforward, but you may still have questions. Getting a second opinion on the document may take a long time if you attempt to do it by yourself. An alternate approach worth consideration is to request help from Rocket Lawyer attorney services. Rocket Lawyer Premium members can ask for a document review from an On Call attorney with relevant experience or pose additional legal questions. As always, you can live confidently with Rocket Lawyer by your side.

The fees associated with meeting and hiring your average legal provider to draft a Medical Power of Attorney could be anywhere between two hundred and five hundred dollars, depending on your location. Rocket Lawyer isn't your average Power of Attorney template provider. With us, anyone under a Premium membership can take advantage of up to a 40% discount when hiring an attorney from our On Call network.

Attached to your Power of Attorney, you'll discover a list of recommended steps you should take once the document is completed. You are encouraged to take any of these actions with your PoA: making edits, saving it as a Word document or PDF file, printing it out, and/or signing it. Finally, your agent(s) and care providers should receive copies of the fully executed document.

The specific requirements and restrictions for PoA forms are different in each state; however, in South Dakota, your Power of Attorney will need notarization or the signatures of two witnesses. Finally, as a general rule, witnesses should not be under 18 years old, and none should also be your Power of Attorney agent.

See South Dakota Healthcare Power of Attorney law: Chapter 34-12C