To judge the real importance of an individual, we should think of the effect his death would produce.

Who Do You Trust To Fill Your Shoes?

The day may come when you cannot make decisions for yourself. An accident. A stroke. The slow creep of dementia. It’s scary to think of turning over control of your life to someone else. The alternative is more frightening — a court stepping in to make those determinations.

The knowledgeable estate planning lawyers of Huffman Law Offices, P.C., advise on durable powers of attorney and other estate planning matters. With locations in Maryville and O’Fallon, Illinois, we serve clients in the Metro East area and across Central Illinois.

Durable Power of Attorney • Medical Power of Attorney
Free Initial Consultation • Toll-Free: 866-842-3430

Powers of Attorney

In the event of your incapacity, a person you have designated is granted authority to manage your personal affairs and health care. Powers of attorney can be temporary or limited to a specific transaction on your behalf while you recover from an injury or illness. They can take effect as durable powers upon a certain circumstance (mental incompetency). Or you may wish to begin turning over control or partial control now.

The designee might be your spouse, a son or daughter, or a friend — someone trusted and capable of handling the responsibilities. Our experienced attorneys can help you in this process and carefully construct the documents to define the powers:

• Durable power of attorney (power of attorney for property) refers to legal and financial matters: applying for government benefits, managing your retirement accounts, paying the bills and taxes.
• Healthcare power of attorney gives a loved one the authority to make medical decisions: treatment options, choice of physician or care facility, whether to keep you on life support.

Powers of attorney can avoid family conflicts and ensure that decisions on your behalf are consistent with your wishes and best interests. If you don’t arrange it now while you are of sound mind, a probate judge will dictate what happens — or appoint someone you wouldn’t necessarily approve of.