• If you are incapacitated, a Financial Power of Attorney, also known as a Durable Power of Attorney, is crucial because it allows your agent that you trust to pay your bills, manage your assets, and generally attend to your affairs.

• If you don't have a Power of Attorney and you become incapacitated, the court may appoint someone to serve as your conservator and guardian. This procedure is expensive, time consuming, and very stressful.

• A Durable Power of Attorney is very important and is one of the least expensive tools available for estate planning. Remember, the time to execute a power of attorney is before you may need it, not when an accident or illness has already occurred. You cannot execute a Durable Power of Attorney AFTER you have become incapacitated.