How to Get a Power of Attorney in Georgia
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows an individual to make decisions for another person, known as the principal. There are two main types of power of attorney: financial and medical. In Georgia, power of attorney must meet certain basic requirements, including being signed by the principal, witnesses, and a notary public. There are standardized forms available …
How to Submit a Power of Attorney. The following documentation provides information on how to submit a power of attorney via the Georgia Tax Center. Note that these instructions differ if you are applying as a Third Party or as a taxpayer for his own account. The steps will let you know where this information is different. How to Submit a Power of Attorney.pdf (860.42 KB)
Apr 28, 2022 · A POA must meet all four of the following basic requirements for a power of attorney in Georgia: It must be signed by the principal. If the principal is unable to sign, another person may sign the principal's name at... It must be signed by one or more witnesses. It must be signed by a notary public ...
Jun 11, 2020 · How Do You Get a Power of Attorney In Georgia? While you can obtain the forms for a Georgia Power of Attorney online, we highly recommend working with an Elder law or Estate Planning attorney to draw up the document for you. What is a Power of Attorney?** A Power of Attorney (or POA) is a legally binding document.
The Georgia legislature has created a Statutory Form Power of Attorney, which may be found in the Official Code of Georgia, Title 10, Chapter 6B, Section 10-6B-70. The form states that it becomes effective immediately unless you state otherwise in the section titled "SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS.".
A power of attorney is a legal document whereby one person, called the “agent," is given authority to act on behalf of another person, called the “principal." To understand POAs, you should be familiar with a few terms and concepts:
Georgia Financial POA Basics. The Georgia law covering financial POAs is found in the Uniform Power of Attorney Act, found in Title 10, Chapter 6B, of the Official Code of Georgia. A POA must meet all four of the following basic requirements for a power of attorney in Georgia: It must be signed by the principal.
Under Georgia law, a person is incapacitated if he or she is unable to manage property or business affairs because of either:
A POA that continues in effect after the principal becomes incapacitated. Springing power of attorney. A POA that only becomes effective if the principal becomes incapacitated. Healthcare power of attorney. A POA that allows your agent to make decisions about your medical treatment if you are unable to make or communicate decisions.
A new statutory financial POA form went into effect on July 1, 2017. Although the law states that a Georgia POA created before that date is still valid, and an out-of-state POA is valid, it is a good idea to create a new POA using the current form.
The notary may not be a witness. The principal, witnesses, anyone signing for the principal, and notary must all be present when they sign. Obtaining a power of attorney in Georgia has been made somewhat easy since the Georgia legislature has created standardized forms for both financial and healthcare POAs.
If you initialed "real property," giving your agent the power to conduct transactions with real estate, you should also file a copy of your POA in the land records office (called the clerk of the superior court in Georgia) in the county where you own real estate. This will allow the clerk of the superior court to recognize your agent's authority if your agent ever needs to sell, mortgage, or transfer real estate for you.
A POA is a simple document that grants specific powers to someone you trust—call ed an "agent" in Georgia (and an "attorney-in-fact" in some states)—to handle certain matters for you.
You get a divorce. In Georgia, if you file for divorce or get divorced and your ex-spouse is named as your agent in your POA, that designation automatically ends. If you named a successor agent, that person would become your agent.
Your POA is effective immediately unless it explicitly states that it takes effect at a future date.
For your POA to be valid in Georgia, it must meet certain requirements.
Georgia allows you to appoint co-agents who are authorized to act at the same time, but it's usually advisable to stick to just one agent to minimize potential conflicts. However, naming a "successor" agent—an alternate who will become your agent if your first choice is unavailable for any reason—is always a good idea, as it creates a backup plan.
As mentioned above, you can't simply sign the document and call it a day. In Georgia, you must have the POA notarized and witnessed.
The Uniform Power of Attorney Act offers more safeguards against bad agents and compels financial institutions to accept the Power of Attorney. These two enhancements make the new POA very beneficial. So that’s how you get a Power of Attorney in Georgia.
A General Power of Attorney: a comprehensive document that grants the agent powers like paying bills and conducting other financial transactions on your behalf. You can use this type of POA even if you’re not incapacitated but just need help conducting financial business. This POA ends with your incapacitation or death
It is not a one-size-fits-all document because there are different options that can be used for many different reasons.
It remains in effect until your death but can be rescinded if you are not incapacitated
What is a Power of Attorney?**. A Power of Attorney (or POA) is a legally binding document. It gives a named person (also known as an Agent or Attorney-in-Fact) the right to make financial decisions on behalf of another person. The Agent may have wide or limited legal authority depending on how the document is written.
Springing Power of Attorney: this document becomes effective once you are incapacitated. It should clearly state in the POA how that will be determined
In 2017, Georgia’s Power of Attorney laws changed. This change requires Georgians to complete a new POA in order to take advantage of these revisions.
With the limited power of attorney forms, your principal’s authority is restricted to a few specific scenarios. To designate a power of attorney in Georgia, two adult witnesses should sign your document. Plus, although it isn’t necessary, paying a notary public to act as one of the witnesses is often advisable.
Power of Attorney can be called on to grant someone else the authority to take charge of your legal, medical, or financial decisions and act on your behalf. In this guide, we’ll review the types of powers of attorney, how they can be granted, and more.
A financial POA allows the person to manage the monetary decisions of another. The other POA handles their health care/medical decisions. Georgia code provides a general medical form for a power of attorney. The process for filing a Power of Attorney document is relatively easy and inexpensive, and it can be a necessary component ...
Therefore, if a particular responsibility is not listed on a POA, the agent is not allowed to make decisions regarding it. The State of Georgia has a Georgia Statutory Form for financial power of attorney that is set out in the law O.C.G.A. §10-6-142.
There are many reasons to have a POA, specifically incapacity. Most people look for the power of attorney if they are facing unfavorable circumstances. For example, if you have to work overseas and want someone to deal with your stuff or are caught by a severe illness that would worsen over time.
Contacting a reputable law firm to advise you of the best options for your particular situation is advisable. Seek a lawyer with a verifiable history of positive results. Read their testimonials and check out their “ about ” page. Then schedule a consultation to determine whether there is a fit.
The “ present ” power of attorney goes into effect immediately.