A Florida power of attorney allows a resident to choose someone else (an “agent”, “attorney-in-fact”, or “surrogate”) to handle actions and decisions on their behalf. Each form serves a unique purpose; one may be used to assign a healthcare surrogate to oversee an individual’s end-of-life care, while another may be used to provide a tax accountant with the authority to file a Florida resident’s state taxes.
If the document is “durable,” the authority granted to the agent is indefinite and remains valid during the principal’s incapacitation.
If the document is “non-durable,” it will become void should the principal lose decisional capacity.
Laws – Florida Power of Attorney Act (ss. 709.2101-709.2402) and Florida Health Care Advance Directives (Chapter 765)
A Florida durable power of attorney form is used by a principal seeking to choose an agent to handle financial transactions on their behalf. This is common for senior citizens that elect family members to handle their banking, taxes, and real estate. The term “durable” refers to the document remaining valid if the principal should become incapacitated. Laws “Durable” Definition (§ 709.2102) – “Durable” means, with…
A Florida medical power of attorney form is a document that enables an individual to select their healthcare representative to prepare for a circumstance in which they cannot effectively communicate their wishes. The form, in conjunction with a living will, provides the principal with the peace of mind of knowing their affairs are in order and their preferences about end-of-life treatments will be honored. Generally…
A Florida general power of attorney form allows an agent to act in another person’s best interest with regard to any financial matter. The general form does not remain valid if the principal loses decisional capacity; at such a point, the document would become void. For this reason, this document is popular with business partners and attorneys, where as long as the principal is thinking…
A Florida limited power of attorney form provides an agent with the authority to handle a specific financial decision or transaction on behalf of the principal. The task can range from representing the person at a real estate closing to withdrawing money from a bank account. It is imperative that the agent understands the extent of their authority and that they follow the guidelines set…
A Florida minor (child) power of attorney form enables a parent to choose a representative and provide them with specific, temporary parental authority over their child. The individual chosen for this position will serve as the child’s caregiver and act on the parent’s behalf. While the representative’s duties may vary, they will typically be asked to supply services necessary to maintain the child’s customary standard of…
A Florida revocation power of attorney form is a document that can be used to cancel any power of attorney document in the State of Florida. The one-page document provides the grantor with the ability to identify the previously applied agreement and terminate the contract effective immediately upon signing. It should be noted that the document must be notarized to be considered valid. Laws Statute…
A Florida motor vehicle power of attorney form may be used to elect a person to handle a title transfer (sale) or application, as well as register the operating vehicle with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The principal, referred to as the grantor, must complete the form in its entirety and submit it to their local tax collector office. The below…
A Florida tax power of attorney form, or Form DR-835, allows a resident of Florida to choose an accountant or any other person to handle their state tax filing on their behalf. Unlike other power of attorney documents in Florida, this does not need to be witnessed or signed with a notary present. The principal need only complete the document in its entirety to grant…
A Florida real estate power of attorney grants permissions relating to real property to an authorized agent. The agent chosen by the principal (the person who executes the document) should be someone who is qualified to deal with such property assignments and is trusted by the principal. In some cases, the principal will only require the agent to complete one task for them, such as…
A Florida real estate power of attorney gives an agent the power to handle a real estate transaction on behalf of a Florida resident. The principal (creator of the real estate power of attorney) may choose to use the available fields on the document to restrict and limit the agent in their ability to represent them. However, if the principal elects to grant broad and…
A Florida living will is a declaration made by an individual (principal) to refuse artificially prolonged care in the event of a terminal condition. Therefore, if a principal becomes in a vegetative state, they can choose to make instructions beforehand to end their life by eliminating feeding and ventilation used to keep them alive. It is the responsibility of a principal to inform medical staff…
