Who could pay your bills, work with your bank, or help manage property if illness interrupted your ability to act? Who would speak with your doctors? These are separate planning questions. Willis Law Group helps New York individuals and families review financial powers of attorney and health care documents as part of a coordinated plan.

We serve Rockland County and Westchester County. Michael T. Willis, Esq. is admitted in New York and New Jersey and brings 25 years of legal experience. Bring your existing documents and the decisions you are concerned about; we explain the proposed work before you decide to retain us.

Request a 30-minute initial meeting about New York planning documents. Tell our team if a bank transaction, care decision, hospitalization, or other deadline makes the matter urgent.

Find the Guidance You Need

A Power of Attorney Addresses Financial and Property Decisions

New York’s Attorney General guidance explains that a power of attorney can authorize another person to act on financial, property, and other non-health-care matters. A durable power of attorney can continue during incapacity; the document’s terms determine the authority granted and when it begins.

Our review starts with what you want the document to accomplish. For example, do you need someone to manage ordinary expenses, assist with a property transaction, or address financial questions connected to long-term care? Those goals help identify the authority and safeguards that need discussion.

  • Choose the person carefully: consider judgment, reliability, willingness to serve, and ability to communicate with you and the institutions involved.
  • Discuss a backup: explain what you would want if your first choice became unavailable.
  • Identify sensitive transactions: flag proposed gifts, trust funding, changes involving a home, retirement accounts, or beneficiary arrangements for specific legal review.
  • Plan practical access: identify the banks, advisers, records, and property your chosen agent may need to deal with.

Broad language should not be treated as permission for every transaction a family may later want. Bring the complete document, including any modifications, attachments, and agent signatures, so we can review the proposed action against the authority actually provided.

A Health Care Proxy and Living Will Serve Different Purposes

A health care proxy names an agent to make health care decisions when you cannot make them yourself. A living will records treatment wishes. Neither should be treated as a substitute for financial authority. The New York Attorney General’s health care proxy FAQ explains the agent’s role and the distinction from financial decisions.

Discuss your wishes with the person you choose, including the values that should guide difficult decisions. Tell us if family disagreement, distance, a changing relationship, or an unavailable first-choice agent could make the plan difficult to use.

We can review the documents together so that the named decision makers, instructions, and practical arrangements support your goals. Ask which copies should go to the people and providers involved and where originals should be kept accessible.

Why Authority Matters to Medicaid and Long-Term Care Planning

A family may have gathered financial records but still need to determine who can request missing statements, sign documents, or carry out a proposed planning step. Review that question early, alongside the care need and finances.

Our New York Medicaid planning and application guide explains the pre-acceptance financial review, care-setting questions, and meeting preparation. A power of attorney should be examined in the context of the actual proposed plan. Signing a document does not itself establish Medicaid eligibility or authorize a particular care service.

If a parent is already hospitalized or a facility is requesting paperwork, identify exactly what needs to be signed and by when. Bring any existing authority documents rather than assuming that being the closest relative answers every financial or legal question.

Review an Existing Document Before Replacing It

An older document is a starting point for review. Tell us what has changed since it was signed and what you now need to accomplish. We examine its terms, the people named, execution information, and the particular concerns before recommending whether additional work is needed.

  • A move between New York and New Jersey, or property and accounts in both states.
  • Death, incapacity, divorce, estrangement, or unavailability of a named decision maker.
  • New care needs or a proposed Medicaid application.
  • An institution’s request for clarification or refusal to accept a document.
  • A change in property ownership, financial arrangements, or family goals.

If an institution has raised a problem, bring its written explanation and contact information, along with every page of the document. This lets us discuss the actual obstacle and possible next steps.

Explore New York wills, trusts, and estate planning, including trust funding, beneficiary coordination, and the questions to ask before retaining counsel.

What to Bring to Your Initial Meeting

  • Existing powers of attorney, health care proxies, living wills, trusts, amendments, and any guardianship orders.
  • Names and contact information for proposed agents and backups, plus any concerns about their ability to serve.
  • A basic outline of property, accounts, insurance, retirement arrangements, and the institutions involved.
  • The transaction, care issue, or family decision prompting the review.
  • Any written rejection, agency request, care-provider paperwork, or deadline.

Bring what you have and identify what is missing. Use the public inquiry form to describe the issue briefly; ask our team how to provide confidential documents securely.

Common Questions About New York Planning Documents

Does a health care proxy let my child manage my bank accounts?

No. A health care proxy concerns health care decisions. Financial matters require a separate review of the appropriate authority and the transaction involved.

Can the same person handle financial and health care matters?

You may choose the same person for both roles, but the appointments are separate. Consider whether that person is suited to each responsibility and discuss backups.

Does having these documents guarantee that guardianship will never be needed?

No document should be presented as a guarantee against every future dispute or court proceeding. We review the authority available, current circumstances, and proposed decisions to identify issues that may require further attention.

What if the person who needs help cannot sign now?

Tell our team about the person’s condition, existing documents, and immediate concern. We can discuss the review required to determine available options. Do not arrange signatures or sign for someone else based only on a family assumption about authority.

Can you review documents originally prepared in New Jersey?

Yes. Bring the complete documents and explain where the person lives and where they will be used. Admission in both New York and New Jersey helps us identify the state-specific questions requiring review; it does not mean the same form automatically fits every situation.

Arrange a New York Document Review

Our current New York meeting location is Office Evolution, 1 Blue Hill Plaza, Lobby Level, Suite 1509, Pearl River, NY 10965. Meetings are by appointment only. Contact our team to arrange your meeting and confirm the location before traveling.

Discuss your power of attorney and health care planning needs. We explain the proposed scope, fees, and next steps before you decide to move forward.