Powers of attorney are among the most important estate planning documents for many of our clients. With more people today anticipating or actually grappling with diminished capacity, the assets comprising our clients’ wealth may be under the control of an agent for an extended period of time. It is important, therefore, that estate planning professionals ensure that each power of attorney is carefully designed to meet the client’s individual purposes and that its acceptance by third parties is optimized. The following critical issues will be discussed during this teleconference:

• Determining appropriate powers to grant to an agent
• Designing powers of attorney to help prevent financial elder abuse
• Liability risks for the agent
• Third parties dealing with the agent