Power of Attorney Denver
Meurer & Potter Law Office, Denver, Colorado
A power of attorney is one of the most important documents in your estate plan—and the one most people overlook until it’s too late. Without a valid POA in place, if you become incapacitated, your family may need to petition a Colorado court for conservatorship or guardianship just to pay your bills or make medical decisions. That process takes months and costs thousands of dollars.
At Meurer & Potter, P.C., our Denver attorneys draft durable financial powers of attorney and medical powers of attorney that give your chosen agent the legal authority to act on your behalf—immediately or upon incapacity—without court involvement. We’ve been helping Colorado families prepare these documents since 1991.
Durable Financial Power of Attorney (POA)
Ensuring Your Financial Life Moves Forward, Even When You Can’t
A durable financial power of attorney authorizes a person you trust (your “agent”) to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so. “Durable” means the authority survives your incapacity—without this designation, the POA becomes void at the moment you need it most. Your agent can pay bills, manage bank accounts, handle real estate transactions, file taxes, manage investments, and conduct business on your behalf. We draft custom POAs that can include or exclude specific powers based on your situation—including the authority to fund trusts, create LLCs, and implement asset protection strategies during incapacity.
Medical Power of Attorney
Take Control of Your Medical Future with a Clear, Legally Binding Plan
A medical power of attorney (also called a healthcare proxy) designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot communicate. This includes decisions about treatment, hospitalization, surgery, medication, and end-of-life care. At Meurer & Potter, we incorporate living will provisions directly into your medical power of attorney — including your preferences for life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation, artificial nutrition, and organ donation. This means your healthcare agent has both the legal authority to act and your written instructions about your wishes in a single document, eliminating the confusion that can arise when families are searching through multiple documents during a medical crisis.
When Does a Power of Attorney Take Effect?
A POA can be drafted to take effect immediately upon signing (useful for elderly clients who want an agent ready to act) or to “spring” into effect only upon a triggering event, typically a physician’s determination of incapacity. We discuss the advantages and risks of each approach based on your family dynamics and health situation. Under Colorado law, a properly drafted durable POA remains in effect until you revoke it, you die, or—for financial POAs—a court appoints a conservator.
Frequently Asked Questions About Power of Attorney
Insights to help you make informed decisions about Power Of Attorney (POA).
Our FAQs offer practical guidance about Power of Attorney designations. They are written to help you stay informed, not overwhelmed.
A financial POA gives your agent authority over financial matters—banking, real estate, taxes, and investments. A medical POA gives your agent authority over healthcare decisions and includes your living will provisions specifying your end-of-life care preferences. They are separate documents, and you can name different people for each role.
A durable power of attorney does not expire as long as you are alive and have not revoked it. It terminates automatically upon your death. You can revoke a POA at any time while you are competent to do so.
Yes. You can name co-agents who must act together, or you can name a primary agent and one or more successor agents who step in if the primary agent is unable or unwilling to serve.
If you become incapacitated without a POA, your family must petition the court for guardianship or conservatorship. This is expensive, time-consuming, and public. The court—not you—chooses who manages your affairs.
Yes. Interested parties can challenge a POA on grounds of incapacity at the time of signing, undue influence, or fraud. A properly drafted and witnessed POA with clear language reduces the risk of successful challenges.