Illinois Powers of Attorney Lawyers Serving Clients in the Chicagoland Area

A power of attorney is a legal document that allows you to designate someone, usually a family member or a trusted friend, to handle your financial, health and property matters in the event of your incapacitation or death. When a person creates a power of attorney, they must be competent at the time they sign the document in order for it to be legally binding.

There are different types of powers of attorney that could prove beneficial to you if you are unable to make crucial decisions. If you are interested in designating someone to be your power of attorney, Newland & Newland, LLP can guide you in the right direction. Our attorneys represent clients in the Chicagoland area from our 6 different office locations in Arlington Heights, Libertyville, Crystal Lake, Chicago, Waukegan and Itasca, for a variety of estate planning matters.

Contact Newland & Newland, LLP to learn more about our legal services and how we can address your specific legal concerns. Call us today to schedule a free initial consultation.

Medical Power of Attorney and Advance Directives

A medical power of attorney or what is also known as an advance directive, allows you to designate someone to make decisions about your health care now and in the future. In Illinois, there are three different types of advance directives you can choose:

• Health Care Power of Attorney: If you, as the "principal", are no longer able to make health care decisions for yourself, the person you choose, known as your "agent", will make important medical decisions on your behalf.
• Living Will: Unlike a health care power of attorney, a living will only applies when you have a terminal illness and wish to express whether or not you want a "DNR" or "death-delaying procedure".
• Mental Health Treatment Preference Declaration: If you have a mental illness, you have the right to choose electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) or psychotropic medicine if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. You can also choose to be admitted to a mental health facility for up to 17 days.

Other types of powers of attorney you may be interested in learning about include:

• Property Power of Attorney: This is when you have an "attorney-in-fact" to make decisions regarding your finances, such as bank accounts, investments, contracts, real estate and other business matters.
• Limited Power of Attorney: With a limited power of attorney, your designated "agent" acts on your behalf in specific situations: one example would be selling property for you.

Contact Us

Contact Newland & Newland, LLP regarding any questions or concerns you may have about powers of attorney matters. Call us today to schedule a free initial consultation.