Students
Powers of Attorney as a student? I’m only young, why do I need them? They are only for old people, aren’t they?
What happens if you have an accident while you’re away from home? You could be at Uni, or even be traveling. Or if you need urgent access to your money? You may need to renew / take out insurance? And what if you have a mental health issue – you’re in a completely new place, away from your family and under lots of pressure. It may happen.
Don’t assume that your next of kin has the legal authority to be kept informed or make decisions for you. But when you turn 18, this authority ceases. Having Powers of Attorney as a student could mean that, in the event of an accident or serious illness, decisions can be made for you, actions can be taken on your behalf, and information can be passed on to those who can help.
Parents
My child is going off to university – why would they need Powers of Attorney as a student? Surely, I can make decisions for them if they can’t? No, you are wrong … read on to discover why!
Your child is no longer a child. Until the age of 18, you are legally able to make decisions for them and be consulted about any treatment. But once they reach the age of 18, you no longer have that legal authority. Imagine them being ill, and you not being given information or being able to make decisions?
I chatted to our local university student welfare team. they told me how often they are in a really difficult situation when a student has a mental health challenge, and they aren’t able to reach out to the parents because they don’t have the authority to do that!
Having Powers of Attorney as a student could make all the difference – they could pre-empt any situation and give you (or other trusted adults) the right to make decisions for them, take financial actions or receive information as needed.
Find Out More
There are different types of Powers of Attorney you can make as a student – you can read more about the different types in our recent blog. You may think that a simpler General Power of Attorney may be a quick and cheap way forward, but beware! They don’t cover health decisions and they can’t be used if you don’t have capacity. So don’t rely on these alone!
Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert, talked on a recent show of his about the need to have Powers of Attorney in place at a young age. You can watch more HERE.
I made mine, and here’s why …
Freddie has recently made Powers of Attorney as a student. They told us:
”Going away as a student is a really exciting but scary time. Suddenly you’re on your own and are expected to make all your own decisions. It’s easy to check in with your parents about whether you’ve made the right choice on something, but I realised that being over 18 meant that they actually had no rights to speak for me.
I’d realised from helping out others that on health issues in particular I wanted my parents to make decisions for me if I was incapacitated. They know me best and understand my values and beliefs.
The process was really straight forward and now I have the comfort in knowing that even though most of the time I don’t need or want my parents views ( joke😀), if I suffer a serious illness or some catastrophe happens I can rely on my parents to act for me.”
What Next?
Making Powers of Attorney as a student, or young adult, is just like buying insurance. You have it and hope you don’t have to use it! But if you have to, then you will be so glad it’s there.
If we can help at all, just call us on 01524 571032. We offer a free 30-minute consultation s you can ask all those questions about the importance of Powers of Attorney as a student.