It is often wise for you to have a POA, and we do encourage them in many situations.  We encourage couples who are committed to each other to hold power of attorney for one another.  There are some decisions that spouses can automatically make for each other, even without power of attorney, but those are more limited than most people realize.  We have, unfortunately, worked with many people who had to obtain legal guardianship over their spouse in order to care for them.  While guardianship is a good process, it is more costly and more complex than making decisions under a POA.   While we do encourage people to have a POA, we would also warn you that a POA gives a great deal of power to someone else, and it should only be granted to someone who has your complete trust.  This is always something to discuss carefully with your attorney before it is signed.