Once a child reaches the age of legal majority, they are considered an adult with privacy rights. This means that parents lose access to private information. This can have dire consequences if the student is involved in an accident or gets seriously ill, explains the article “Navigating The Transition To Adulthood: A Legal Guide For Parents” from mondaq. With proactive steps, parents can address these situations before they occur.
Whether or not your insurance covers your child’s healthcare doesn’t matter. Without a Healthcare Power of Attorney, parents cannot make medical decisions, speak with healthcare providers, or talk with the health insurance company. Parents are strongly urged to have their college-bound student complete a Healthcare Power of Attorney.
If there is no Power of Attorney and the child is incapacitated, parents will have to go to court to be able to make medical decisions for their child. Hospitals and healthcare providers are extremely strict about following these rules to avoid litigation and fines. No matter how bad the situation is, don’t expect any rules to be bent.
Your adult child should also have a Living Will. This is a document controlling decisions about end-of-life. It only becomes effective when a person is in a state of permanent unconsciousness, like a coma, or if they are in an end-stage medical condition (terminally ill). The student uses this document to express their wishes concerning care: Do they want to be artificially fed, hydrated, or kept alive by extraordinary means? Do they want to become an organ donor? This document conveys their wishes and can save the family an unimaginable amount of added stress during a trying time.
A Durable Financial Power of Attorney is used to name a person, known as an “agent," to act on their behalf. The agent can take care of legal and financial matters. This is needed in case of incapacity so the parent or trusted person may deal with financial institutions, colleges, courts and any other company or organization on behalf of the student. Without it, parents cannot access account information or act on the student’s behalf.
Does your student also need a Will? The estate planning attorney who helps create the documents listed above can help you answer this question. Depending on their situation, if the student owns a car, has a bank account, an inheritance, or sizable cryptocurrency accounts, they may need a Will.
The documents mentioned above should also be in place for parents. If parents don’t have a Will, Financial Power of Attorney, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Living Will and trusts, if appropriate, their newly-minted adult child will have a lot to deal with if they should both die unexpectedly. A visit to the estate planning attorney for all generations is a good idea.
Reference: mondaq (June 24, 2024) “Navigating The Transition To Adulthood: A Legal Guide For Parents”
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