Estate planning isn’t just about having the right documents—it’s about making sure they work when you need them most.

This week, let’s talk about a step that’s often overlooked: confirming your Power of Attorney (POA) will actually be honored by your financial institutions and ensuring your healthcare providers will honor your Advance Medical Directive and HIPAA waivers. It’s not enough to tuck these documents away in a folder and hope for the best. You need to make sure the right people have them, and that those people will accept them when the time comes.

Submit Your Advance Healthcare Planning Documents

Start by sending your Advance Healthcare Directive and HIPAA Authorization to your primary care provider and any specialists you regularly see. Some providers will upload these to your electronic health record, while others may require hard copies. Some providers might prefer use of their own forms, or a specific reference to their practice in the HIPAA waiver. Either way, don’t wait until a crisis. You want your wishes and your agent’s authority to be on file and easy to access. Finally, make a note on your calendar or estate planning checklist to review these decisions periodically and update your forms accordingly.

Financial Institutions May Have Their Own POA Forms

Here’s the part that surprises many people: not all financial institutions accept a general Power of Attorney. That means even if your POA is properly signed, witnessed, and notarized, your agent may be turned away unless you’ve filled out that institution’s internal form ahead of time. While there is no legal reason to decline to honor a valid Power of Attorney, you’ll find that some banks or institutions still might. You may want to ask your attorney to contact your institution on your behalf if you run into this trouble. To avoid running into red tape during an emergency or urgent need, reach out now—before your POA is ever needed—and:

• Ask each bank or financial company whether they’ll honor your general POA.

• If they require their own form, complete it now and add it to your estate plan file.

• Ask if the institution has any rules about documents getting “stale.” Some banks or financial institutions ask for updated directives periodically and may not honor a document that gets too old.

Taking these few minutes or hours now to confirm and complete any required forms can prevent major delays—and even legal roadblocks—down the road. These are small steps that can prevent big headaches. Ensuring your documents have the practical effect that they legally give is something you can and should do now. Once you’ve done these tasks you can rest easy knowing you are giving your loved ones the tools they need to support you—without added stress, confusion, or red tape.

If you’re not sure where to begin or would like help reviewing or updating your documents, I invite you to reach out to Serenity at Law. We’re here to ensure your plan works exactly how you intend.