A Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children is an option for parents who leave their child with a temporary caregiver for any period of time. Most parents do not consider the authority that their child’s temporary caregiver may require. If your caregiver needs to make medical decisions or sign a permission form, do they have the authority to do so?
If you are traveling without your children, either for work or pleasure, you should consider drafting a Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children to allow your appointed caregiver to sign for purposes of contractual or medical matters. A Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children allows you to set your own terms for the care of your child, and it gives you peace of mind that your child is well taken care of while you are away.
A Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children functions similarly to a Durable Power of Attorney and a Healthcare Power of Attorney, but it only exists for a limited period of time and can be drafted with more specificity. When you draft a Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children, you appoint an agent to make decisions on your behalf for your child in your absence. Limited Powers of Attorney for Minor Children are ideal for situations where you are away from your child for an any period of time with no feasible way to physically return in case of emergency. A Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children gives the temporary authority to take the child or children to the hospital and make medical decisions, and it also allows the temporary agent to sign school permission forms or any other forms that a school or camp may require. If your absence is lengthy, you can even include the power to request any type of records and enroll a child in school or other activities as well as any financial document authority. A Limited Power of Attorney for Minor Children cannot last longer than 1 year and gives full custody and legal rights to the temporary agent over the child, but it does not nullify the parental or legal rights of the existing parents.
Written by Joseph E. Cordell
Joseph E. Cordell is the Principal Partner at Cordell and Cordell, P.C., which he founded in 1990 with his wife, Yvonne. Over the past 25 years, the firm has grown to include more than 100 offices in 30 states, as well as internationally in the United Kingdom. Mr. Cordell is licensed to practice in the states of Illinois and Missouri and received his LL.M. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Joseph E. Cordell was named one of the Top 10 Best Family Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Missouri.
