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Mental Health Declaration and Power of Attorney

A Mental Health Declaration and Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives someone else permission to make mental healthcare decisions on your behalf, such as refusing or accepting certain medical treatments or procedures, if you cannot do so.

The person granting permission is known as the "principal," while the individual or organization obtaining powers is known as the "agent." Suited for residents of all states, all Mental Health Declaration and PoA forms from Rocket Lawyer can be customized for your unique situation. As a result of having this essential document, your agent can offer proof to medical institutions and other parties that they can legally make choices for you.

It's simple and easy to assign or receive the support you may need using a free Mental Health Declaration and Power of Attorney template from Rocket Lawyer:

1. Make the document - Provide a few general details and we will do the rest
2. Send and share it - Discuss the PoA with your agent or get legal advice
3. Sign and make it legal - Mandatory or not, witnesses and notarization are ideal

This route is often notably more affordable and convenient than finding and hiring the average law firm. If necessary, you can start this medical PoA on behalf of your spouse or another family member, and then have them sign it once you've drafted it. Please remember that for this document to be considered valid, the principal must be a mentally competent adult when they sign. If the principal has already been declared incompetent, a court-appointed conservatorship may be necessary. In such a situation, it is a good idea for you to speak with an attorney.

Every person over 18 years old should have a Healthcare Power of Attorney. While it may be tough to think about, there may come a day when you can no longer make your own medical decisions. Here are some typical situations where power of attorney might be useful:

• You are aging or have declining health
• You live in or are preparing to move into a community care facility
• You plan to be hospitalized for a medical procedure
• You are managing a terminal illness

Regardless of whether this Mental Health Declaration and Power of Attorney has been prepared as part of a forward-looking plan or created as a result of an unexpected issue, witnesses and notarization are strongly recommended as a best practice for protecting your document if its authority is questioned by a third party.

In researching the topics of estate planning and elder care, you might hear "healthcare proxy" and "healthcare power of attorney" being used together or interchangeably. In short, they're the same. That said, it's entirely possible to grant power of attorney over affairs that aren't health-related. In that case, "proxy" generally is not the term of choice.

Mental Health Declaration and PoA forms are generally easy to make; however, you or your agent(s) might have questions. Hiring a legal professional to give feedback on your Healthcare Power of Attorney may take longer than you'd expect if you attempt to do it by yourself. Another approach would be via the Rocket Lawyer On Call^® network. Rocket Lawyer Premium members are able to ask for a document review from an On Call attorney with relevant experience or send other legal questions. As always, you can live confidently with Rocket Lawyer by your side.

The fees associated with working with a conventional law firm to generate a medical Power of Attorney might be anywhere from two hundred to five hundred dollars. When you use Rocket Lawyer, you aren't just filling out a Power of Attorney template. In case you ever need help from a lawyer, your Rocket Lawyer membership offers up to 40% in savings when you hire an attorney from our On Call network.

Your Power of Attorney will come with its own list of instructions on what comes next after your document is finished. You also can take any of the following actions related to your PoA: editing it, saving it as a Word or PDF file, printing it out, and signing it. Finally, make sure to send a copy of your signed document to your agent(s) and care providers.

The guidelines and restrictions for PoA forms will be different in each state; however, it is highly encouraged to have your Power of Attorney signed by at least one witness and/or notarized in order to reinforce its credibility. As a general rule, witnesses will need to be over 18 years old, and none of them should also be your agent.