Linda C. Ashar - The Complete Power of Attorney Guide for Consumers and Small Businesses: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply

Power of Attorney Guide

Everything You Need to Know
Explained Simply

By Linda C. Ashar, Attorney at Law
Author of 101 Ways to Score Higher on Your LSAT and
The Complete Guide to Planning Your Estate series

THE COMPLETE POWER OF ATTORNEY GUIDE FOR CONSUMERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW EXPLAINED SIMPLY

Copyright 2010 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ashar, Linda C., 1947

The complete power of attorney guide for consumers and small businesses : everything you need to know explained simply / by Linda C. Ashar.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-311-2 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-311-8 (alk. paper)

1. Power of attorney--United States--Popular works. I. Title.

KF1347.A97 2010

346.73029--dc22

2009052280

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We recently lost our beloved pet Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the Vice President of Sunshine here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents. Bear was a rescue dog that turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every person and animal he met (maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.

We wanted you to know that a portion of the profits of this book will be donated to The Humane Society of the United States. Douglas & Sherri Brown

The human-animal bond is as old as human history. We cherish our animal companions for their unconditional affection and acceptance. We feel a thrill when we glimpse wild creatures in their natural habitat or in our own backyard.

Unfortunately, the human-animal bond has at times been weakened. Humans have exploited some animal species to the point of extinction.

The Humane Society of the United States makes a difference in the lives of animals here at home and worldwide. The HSUS is dedicated to creating a world where our relationship with animals is guided by compassion. We seek a truly humane society in which animals are respected for their intrinsic value, and where the human-animal bond is strong.

Want to help animals? We have plenty of suggestions. Adopt a pet from a local shelter, join The Humane Society and be a part of our work to help companion animals and wildlife. You will be funding our educational, legislative, investigative and outreach projects in the U.S. and across the globe.

Or perhaps youd like to make a memorial donation in honor of a pet, friend or relative? You can through our Kindred Spirits program. And if youd like to contribute in a more structured way, our Planned Giving Office has suggestions about estate planning, annuities, and even gifts of stock that avoid capital gains taxes.

Maybe you have land that you would like to preserve as a lasting habitat for wildlife. Our Wildlife Land Trust can help you. Perhaps the land you want to share is a backyardthats enough. Our Urban Wildlife Sanctuary Program will show you how to create a habitat for your wild neighbors.

So you see, its easy to help animals. And The HSUS is here to help.

2100 L Street NW Washington, DC 20037 202-452-1100
www.hsus.org

To my mother, who has steadfastly encouraged me in all things

This book surveys in an easy format the many uses and benefits of the legal device called a power of attorney. Although the term is in reference to a document, the concept it represents is a much more compelling and important notion: that of ones ability to make decisions and sign documents as if he or she were another person lawfully.

The concept of agency one person acting for another is as ancient as time. The use of an image, token, or document as a device to evidence a persons (the agents) ability to speak and act in place of another (the principal) dates back to the first interactions between human groups. In ancient times, merchants, leaders, landowners, and rulers routinely dispatched agents with documents carrying their seal, thereby empowering the agent on their behalf for all manners of business transactions. For a broader assignment of powers, a king would give his trusted agent his ring bearing the royal seal to signify the agents importance his power to literally stand in for the king.