Your son or daughter is in an exciting chapter in their life—college! You may still see the little girl with pigtails or the little boy with mud on his face, but your college student is a legal adult. 

We know you’re still guiding and protecting your child. However, you don’t have the ability to make decisions if something were to happen to them. Parents aren’t able to control the healthcare decisions of their child or act on their child’s behalf in financial transactions. You’ll also be limited in what information you can obtain about your child now that you aren’t their legal guardian. 

To be protected in the event of their incapacity, we recommend every college student is equipped with these 4 documents:

1. Healthcare Power of Attorney
   If your child is in an accident and can’t make medical decisions on their own, a healthcare power of attorney seamlessly allows another person to make these decisions on their behalf.
   
   
2. General Power of Attorney
   A general power of attorney allows another person to manage and have access to your child’s financial accounts and property, as well as handle health insurance, legal claims, government agencies, and credit cards.
   
   
3. HIPAA Authorization
   Matters pertaining to his or her health can’t be shared with you without your child’s consent using a HIPAA authorization.
   HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
   
   
4. FERPA Release
   A FERPA release allows your student to designate certain people to have access to their student records. This legal document is useful when parents need to talk to, or get information from, a college’s financial aid office, student housing, and/or the registrar.
   FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
   

While not the happiest of topics, in the event of their incapacity, these 4 documents will help protect your child, like you have since they were little. 

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about these documents, or just need a little help with the paperwork, contact Legacy Law Group for a complimentary consultation. Our knowledgeable legal professionals will help your family every step of the way.