New columns will be added monthly. Contact us for additional information. A power of attorney is a document that authorizes another to serve as an agent. Depending on how it is written, the agent can make medical and financial decisions.
Guardianship involves the courts.
Both have their purposes, but sometimes clients confuse the two. For instance, suppose Mary, age 78, is a widow with two children, Ralph and Alice. Ralph is mentally retarded with an IQ of 50. Ralph is usually very cooperative. The answer is no.