Lasting Power of Attorney
Signing your LPA is the beginning — not the end. Most people stop at the signature. This checklist helps you go further.
An LPA gives your donee the legal authority to act. But authority without preparation is not a plan — it is a risk. The seven sections in this checklist cover what most estate planners never ask about after you sign.
Download it, print it, and work through it once a year. Share it with your donee. It will take an hour and could save your family years of difficulty.
What's Inside
The checklist covers each dimension of a truly complete LPA — not just whether you signed it, but whether it will actually work.
Have you properly briefed them? Do they know what they can and cannot do? Have you put record-keeping expectations in place?
Does your donee know what you own and where everything is? Without a clear asset schedule, even a well-intentioned donee is operating blind.
If you become incapacitated, is there enough to fund your care? Have you mapped insurance coverage against realistic monthly costs?
If your income stops, who protects your spouse, children, or parents? Does your donee know how to manage their needs from your estate?
Do you fully understand what your donee can do with your property? Have you documented any restrictions or specific instructions?
Trust is a character judgement. Structure is what actually protects you. This section covers the safeguards most people overlook.
An LPA is not a one-time document. This section identifies the five triggers that should prompt an immediate review — and sets your next date.
"Most LPAs are signed and then filed away. The ones that actually protect people are the ones that are prepared, discussed, and reviewed."
Download the Checklist
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