In the United States, as soon as a minor turns 18, they’re typically considered a legal adult. As a result, parents no longer have any authority to make decisions for their adult child, including financial and health care decisions. There are some important documents for your adult child that should be considered before sending them off to college.
Yahoo’s recent article entitled “Don’t Let Your Child Leave for College Without Signing Three Critical Documents” asks what if your adult child becomes sick or is in an accident and ends up hospitalized?
Because of privacy laws, known as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you wouldn’t have any rights to get any information from the hospital regarding your adult child’s condition. Yes, we know you’re her mother. However, that’s the law!
You also wouldn’t have the ability to access his or her medical records or intercede on your child’s behalf regarding medical treatment and care.
If your child’s unable to communicate with doctors, you’d also have to ask a judge to appoint you as your child’s guardian before being able to be told of his or her condition and to make any healthcare decisions for them.
While this is hard when your adult child is still living at home, it’s a huge headache if your child is attending college away from home.
However, there’s a relatively easy fix to address this issue:
Ask an experienced estate planning attorney about drafting three legal documents for your child to sign:
- A Health Care Advance Directive for Health Care. This document designates the parent as your child’s patient advocate.
- A HIPAA Authorization gives you access to your child’s medical records and lets you discuss his or her health condition with doctors.
- A DPOA for Financial Matters, designates the parent as your adult child’s agent, so that you can manage your child’s financial affairs, including things like banking and bill paying, in case your child becomes sick or injured, or is unable to act for any reason.
Reference: Yahoo (Aug. 2, 2022) “Don’t Let Your Child Leave for College Without Signing Three Critical Documents”
