Secure your financial affairs with confidence
Appoint a trusted person to manage your finances using FindLaw’s attorney-created forms and easy step-by-step process.
Choose your Idaho power of attorney options
Designate someone you trust to manage your finances or property with a power of attorney. Ensure comprehensive protection for you and your loved ones and secure your future with an estate planning forms package.
Power of Attorney
Customize a power of attorney to suit your needs
BEST VALUE
Estate Planning Package
All the forms you need to create a personal estate plan
Do I really need a power of attorney?
A power of attorney covers you when the unexpected happens. You may face mental or physical incapacity from an illness or injury or a personal or business matter that places you out of reach. In either case, you need someone to be able to access your finances when you are unable to do so. A power of attorney allows you to choose that person and assign them powers to act on your behalf.
With FindLaw, you can easily create a power of attorney quickly, and from the comfort of your home.
Click on the links below to jump down the page:
How it works
The process takes less than an hour, and you can complete it from the comfort of your home.
Create an account
Create a secure account which is accessible through an easy dashboard you can access any time
Gather information
Indicate who your agent will be and what authority you want them to have
Complete your document
Answer all questions, then we’ll generate your digital documents for downloading, printing, and signing
Make it legal
Carefully follow the instructions provided in the form, which may include signing your documents in front of witnesses or a notary
Plan for your future with confidence
This free guide will help you:
Learn the most common estate planning terms
Understand the essential estate planning tools
Gather critical information with an estate planning checklist
How to get a power of attorney in Idaho
Understand how a POA works in Idaho
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows a principal (you) to appoint an agent (or attorney-in-fact) to act on your behalf in a legal capacity. In Idaho, general powers of attorney are presumed durable, meaning they remain in effect regardless of your disability or mental incapacity.
For health care decisions, you can execute a health care power of attorney that allows you to appoint someone to communicate your preferences regarding medical treatment if you are unconscious or lack capacity.
Choose your agent
Consider your agent carefully. You want someone you trust who is also knowledgeable about your current affairs. Many people choose a live-in partner, spouse, close friend, family member, or business partner to fulfill this role. It is also a good idea to choose a successor agent because your primary choice may not be available to act on your power of attorney in the future.
Assign powers
Powers of attorney include a general grant of power (ability to act on your behalf in contractual and legal matters) as well as specific powers, including managing certain financial transactions. You can assign powers by initialing them on the form or crossing out the ones you do not want your agent to address.
Keeping powers of attorney broad ensures your agent can act fully in your place when you cannot do so. However, you can also limit an agent’s duties to specific powers (making deposits into bank accounts) or a single transaction (closing on real estate).
Find a notary public
Idaho law requires that the principal signs a power of attorney in front of a notary public. You can find a notary public at most banks and credit unions, or hire a mobile notary to visit you at your home or workplace. If you hire a law firm to draft your power of attorney, a notary public is often available on staff to acknowledge your signature.
Make copies
Once finished, make copies of your power of attorney and provide them to your agent, loved ones, and anyone else affected by it. Keep the original in a safe deposit box or locking fireproof cabinet. Let your agent know where you placed the original.
If you decide to revoke your power of attorney, you can do so by executing a new one, signing a ‘Revocation of Power of Attorney,’ or destroying the original document.
Frequently asked questions about Idaho powers of attorney
There are certain situations where a power of attorney may prove critical. They include:
- Being a member of the armed services
- Facing a chronic or terminal medical condition
- Working in a hazardous environment, including exposure to dangerous or toxic chemicals
- Situations where you need extra help, including real estate closings or business interests
Without a power of attorney, your loved ones face distress and high legal costs. In mental incapacity cases, they may need to file for a conservatorship, where a court appoints someone to manage your property on your behalf. There is no guarantee that the conservator will be someone you trust to understand your affairs. A power of attorney offers reassurance that everything is handled to according to your wishes.
You can find free power of attorney forms online. However, there is no guarantee that they will apply to your situation or have legal authority in Idaho.
Many people find powers of attorney easy to complete. Wage-earners in long-term relationships with mostly joint assets have an easier time than those in more complex situations. If you own a business, face substantial family conflict, or work in a hazardous industry, it is a good idea to seek legal advice and at least have an attorney review your completed form.
You may want to speak with a lawyer if:
- You don’t know who to choose as your agent
- You want to use a POA for Medicaid planning
- You want to discuss which powers you should give your agent
- You want legal review of your completed power of attorney