By now your child has settled into her dorm or apartment and is hopefully working hard at pursuing that college degree and considering exciting career opportunities. While she appears to be quite grown up, living on her own, she may still be dependent upon you for many things like transportation, health insurance, emergency funds and, of course, laundry services.
Your child doesn’t really seem like an adult yet, but when she turned 18, you lost the ability to make certain decisions on her behalf. If she becomes seriously injured and incapacitated, you don’t have the legal right to make medical or financial decisions for her. While it’s unlikely that this will happen, if it does, you want to be sure that you have the authority to handle her affairs. A simple power of attorney (POA) will enable you to do so. Start planning ahead for the next school break and have a POA prepared so that you are ready should the unexpected ever happen.