Power of attorney

Okay, let's pretend you have a really important toy that you never want to let anyone else play with. But one day, you're going on vacation and you're going to be away from your toy for a long time. You still want to make sure it's safe and that someone can take care of it while you're gone.

That's kind of like an adult when they need to go away and they have important things like money, property, or even the ability to make decisions about their medical care. When they're not able to be there, they might ask someone they trust, like a family member or friend, to help them out. They can do this by giving that person something called a "power of attorney."

A power of attorney is like a special permission slip that says, "Hey, I trust you to take care of my important things while I'm gone." The person who gets the power of attorney is called the "attorney-in-fact" and they can make decisions or take actions on behalf of the person who gave them the power of attorney.

For example, if someone gives their friend power of attorney over their money while they're away, that friend can go to the bank and do things like pay bills or make deposits on behalf of the person who gave them the power of attorney. If someone gives their spouse power of attorney for their medical care, their spouse can make important medical decisions for them if they're unable to do so themselves.

But it's important to remember that the person who gave the power of attorney is still in charge overall. They might give the attorney-in-fact specific instructions about what they can and can't do, and they can cancel the power of attorney at any time if they start feeling uncomfortable or if they're able to take care of things themselves again.

So, just like you might let a trusted friend take care of your toys while you're away, adults sometimes give someone they trust power of attorney to take care of their important things. It's like a special permission slip that tells people, "Hey, this person can help me out."