# I don't know anyone I trust to be my POA financial



## zalmanitzka (Feb 20, 2020)

*I am an 86 year old living alone with no family I don't know anyone I can trust to be my power of attorney for financial*
I am an 86 year old living alone with no family I reside at home in Chicago Illinois
I don't know anyone I can trust to be my power of attorney for financial
I always thought when I go to my attorney to make a revocable living trust he would automatically be also the power of attorney for financial
Yesterday my doctor told me that's not possible now I am confused
Question won't my attorney who makes up my trust for me and
just by virtue of his making out my trust doesn't  automatically become my power of attorney for financial
I always thought that just goes with making out a trust?
Isn't my attorney who is my trust maker always an essential part of the trust ?
Is he allowed to be my POA financial according to my state laws regarding this matter?
Do I have to ask him to be my power of attorney for financial or is it common knowledge among all lawyers?


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## JaniceM (Feb 20, 2020)

My advice:  check the laws for your state, and then ask the attorney himself.


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## RadishRose (Feb 20, 2020)

I would ask the attorney to explain it to you. Your doctor may not be qualified to offer legal advice. Good luck!


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## Butterfly (Feb 21, 2020)

Here in NM (and laws vary widely from state to state) the drawing up of the trust does NOT automatically give your attorney POA over financial matters.    Perhaps a  particular trust could be written that way, but I don't know about that.

I agree with those above -- ask your attorney about this; don't take legal advice from your doctor, and don't take medical advice from your attorney.

Also, if I were you, I would consider making what we here call a medical power of attorney or health care power of attorney, which designates someone else to make decisions about your medical care if you are unable to do so.  Do ask your attorney about that also.


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## Victor (Feb 23, 2020)

I live in Illinois also. I always thought it is a conflict of interest for your lawyer to do this.
Anyway, do you really trust him or her that much? I have no POA. Don't trust anyone!. Also hard to find a reliable Power for HealthCare. In the end, everyone is out for him or herself. What you care about may be of low interest to them. "At the narrow passage, there is no brother, no friend".       Arab saying.


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## Butterfly (Feb 23, 2020)

Victor said:


> I live in Illinois also. I always thought it is a conflict of interest for your lawyer to do this.
> Anyway, do you really trust him or her that much? I have no POA. Don't trust anyone!. Also hard to find a reliable Power for HealthCare. In the end, everyone is out for him or herself. What you care about may be of low interest to them. "At the narrow passage, there is no brother, no friend".       Arab saying.



It's not a conflict of interest.  It's a service rendered to a client if they request it.

In the end, if you are no longer able to make decisions (like medical, or pay your own bills yourself) if you don't have someone do it for you, it will just be chaos and eat up whatever estate you may have with late charges, judgments, foreclosures, etc., and medical decisions will be made by people you don't even know and measures may be taken that only prolong your dying -- like tube feeding, etc., that you may or may not want.  

A power of attorney can be written so it only takes effect if you are no longer able to manage your own affairs, as attested to by your physicians.


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## OneEyedDiva (Feb 29, 2020)

It's sad that you don't have anyone you can trust. I hope you find a feasible solution.


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