Powers of Attorney

Durable Financial Power of Attorney

Authorizes your agent to manage your financial affairs — banking, investments, real estate, tax filings, and business operations — if you become incapacitated. "Durable" means it remains effective even after you lose capacity, which is precisely when you need it most. In New Jersey, this document should be drafted to comply with NJSA 46:2B-8.1 et seq.

Healthcare Power of Attorney (Proxy Directive)

Designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to communicate your wishes. In New Jersey, this is governed by the NJ Advance Directives for Health Care Act (NJSA 26:2H-53 et seq.). Your healthcare proxy can consent to or refuse treatment, choose providers, and access your medical records.

Living Will (Instruction Directive)

A written statement of your wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment if you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious. Unlike a healthcare proxy, a living will speaks directly — it tells doctors what you want when you can't tell them yourself. We typically prepare this alongside your healthcare power of attorney.

Limited Power of Attorney

Grants authority for a specific purpose and a limited time — for example, authorizing someone to sign closing documents on a real estate transaction while you're out of the country, or to manage a single financial account. The authority terminates when the task is complete.

What happens without a power of attorney?

If you become incapacitated without a power of attorney, your family must petition the Superior Court for guardianship — a process that is public, expensive (often $5,000–$15,000+), and can take months. The court — not your family — decides who manages your affairs.

A properly drafted power of attorney avoids all of this. It costs a fraction of what guardianship costs, it's private, and it puts the person you trust in charge — immediately.