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West Virginia Healthcare Power of Attorney

A West Virginia Healthcare Power of Attorney is a legal document that grants a trusted person permission to make health-related decisions on your behalf, such as refusing or accepting a specific medical treatment or procedure, if you cannot do so.

The individual granting permission is known as the "principal," while the individuals or entities obtaining powers are called the "agents." Designed for residents of West Virginia, our Power of Attorney for health care can be used in Kanawha County, Berkeley County, Monongalia County, and in all other regions throughout the state. All West Virginia Medical PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be edited to address your particular situation. Creating this document will provide confirmation to medical providers and other parties that your selected representative(s) can make choices for you when you are not able.

It is simple and easy to grant or receive the support you might need using a free West Virginia Healthcare Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make your PoA - Answer a few questions and we will do the rest
2. Send or share it - Review the PoA with your agent(s) or ask a lawyer
3. Sign it - Optional or not, witnesses and notarization are ideal

This solution is, in most cases, notably more affordable than finding and hiring the average lawyer. If needed, you may start a Medical PoA on behalf of a relative, and then help them sign once you've drafted it. Keep in mind that for a PoA form to be accepted as valid, the principal must be an adult who is mentally competent at the time of signing. If the principal is already incapacitated and unable to make their own decisions, a court-appointed conservatorship may be required. When managing this situation, it's a good idea for you to speak to a lawyer.

Every adult ought to have a Healthcare Power of Attorney. Although it can be painful to think about, there could come a time when you are no longer able to make your own medical decisions. Typical occasions where you might find a PoA to be useful include:

• You are managing a terminal illness
• You are planning to undergo an in-patient procedure requiring anesthesia
• You currently reside in or are planning to move into an adult care facility
• You are aging or have declining health

Regardless of whether this West Virginia Healthcare Power of Attorney is being produced as a result of an unexpected issue or as part of a long-term plan, witnesses and notarization are highly recommended for protecting your document if a third party challenges its authority.

At times, when discussing the topics of estate planning or elder care with medical professionals, you might hear the terms "healthcare proxy" and "healthcare power of attorney" used together. In short, they are the same. That said, it is entirely possible to establish agency over affairs that are not health-related, in which case, "proxy" typically is not the term of choice.

West Virginia Medical PoA forms are normally straightforward; however, you or your agent might need advice. Hiring a legal professional to check your West Virginia Healthcare Power of Attorney can be time-intensive and relatively expensive. An easier option is via attorney services at Rocket Lawyer. As a Premium member, you can get your documents reviewed or ask specific questions. As always, you can rest assured that Rocket Lawyer will be here to support you.

The fees associated with meeting and hiring a lawyer to draft a Medical Power of Attorney could range anywhere between two hundred and five hundred dollars, depending on your location. Unlike most other Power of Attorney template websites that you may discover, Rocket Lawyer gives Premium membership holders up to a 40% discount when hiring a lawyer, so an attorney can assess the situation and take action if you ever require help.

Your Power of Attorney has its own series of next steps you should take to finalize the document. Feel free to interact with the document in one or all of the following ways: editing it, downloading it as a PDF document or Word file, printing it, and signing it. Finally, you should provide a final copy of your signed document to your agent(s), care providers, and other impacted parties.

The specific guidelines and restrictions governing PoA forms vary by state; however, in West Virginia, your Power of Attorney will require the signatures of two witnesses and a notary public. The witnesses to your form should not be anyone who is financially responsible for your medical care, your attending physician, or any person who signed the PoA document on your behalf, if you are unable to sign. You should also exclude your spouse or any other relative, heir, or beneficiary. As a general standard, witnesses should not be under 18 years old, and no witness should simultaneously be acting as your agent.

See West Virginia Healthcare Power of Attorney law: § 16-30-4