With the end of summer upon us, the start of the school year is just around the corner.  If you have children or grandchildren they will soon be heading back to school or off to college.   What better time to take the necessary legal steps to make sure that they are protected in case of an emergency?

Here are some tips:

• For children under the age of 18, make sure that all of the people who take care of your children – grandparents, babysitters, older siblings, neighbors, family friends, etc. – have your up-to-date contact information, including changes to your cell phone numbers.  Don’t forget the emergency contact list on your fridge or bulletin board.
• For minor children it is also important that the appropriate people have the ability to make decisions about your child if you can’t be reached or are out of town.  This is done by having an attorney draft the appropriate legal documents.
• For children over the age of 18, make sure that he or she has executed the necessary health care power of attorney, financial power of attorney, and HIPAA authorization prepared by an attorney.  This is especially important if they are off to college because your “children” are now legally adults and you no longer have the power to make their financial decisions or access their medical information.

These steps can make a critical difference to the treatment your child receives in an emergency and also the information you will be able to receive as a parent if something happens to your child when you are unavailable.

The Wills Law Firm can assist you in making sure your children are protected.  Contact us today at (501) 329-3179.