Design and create a comprehensive Rhode Island Power of Attorney (POA) tailored to your needs and state’s requirements with the help of step-by-step guidance and expert customizable forms.
Last Update March 23rd, 2023
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- Power of Attorney (POA) Forms
- Rhode Island Power of Attorney (POA) Form
- Types of Power of Attorney in Rhode Island
- How to Get a Power of Attorney in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Power of Attorney Requirements
- Rhode Island Power of Attorney Sample
- FAQs About Rhode Island Power of Attorney Forms
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Types of Power of Attorney in Rhode Island
Before starting a Rhode Island Power of Attorney, it is critical to know what type of POA to create. There are many different varieties of these legal instruments, and each grants different kinds of powers from a Principal to an Agent or Attorney-in-Fact.
The most common kinds of POA available in RI include the following examples:
| Type of POA | Uses | Usable After Incapacity? |
|---|---|---|
| Durable | A Durable POA allows an Agent to manage your estate for you at all times, even if you fall unconscious or become medically incapacitated. | Yes |
| General | General POAs give Agents control over a wide range of your financial responsibilities. This expires, however, if you fall unconscious or are incapacitated. | No |
| Limited | Limited POAs grant an Agent responsibility over specific, normally one-off, tasks. These forms are usually time limited, only giving your representative authority for a short period of time. | Yes (if durable) |
| Medical | Medical POAs allow you to delegate important healthcare decisions to your Agent. This can then be used when urgent choices regarding treatment need to be made when you’re unconscious. | Yes |
| Real Estate | Real Estate POAs let your Agent manage tasks related to the buying and selling of property on your behalf. | Yes (if durable) |
| Vehicle (DMV) | Using a Vehicle POA allows an Agent to buy and sell vehicles for you and to manage other ownership tasks such as registering titles with the DMV and updating official documentation. | Yes (if durable) |
| Springing | A Springing POA allows an Agent to act for you when certain conditions or criteria occur. For example: the Power of Attorney may only become active if you are unconscious or are unavailable for a period of time. | Yes (if durable) |
| Minor (Child) | With a Minor POA, you can delegate your parental rights over a child to your Agent temporarily. This might be necessary if you are seriously ill, serving in the military or have to travel for work purposes. | Yes (if durable) |
| Tax | With a Tax POA, your Agent may represent you and sign documents on your behalf at the local Rhode Island tax office. | Yes (if durable) |
How to Get a Power of Attorney in Rhode Island
It’s relatively easy to create a Power of Attorney in RI. This process can be fully handled online using our comprehensive legal document maker.
When completing the Rhode Island POA with our tools, you’ll be guided expertly through each step of the process, so you comply with all the necessary laws in Rhode Island. You’ll then be able to print off and sign the completed document and put it into action.
Another option for getting an RI Power of Attorney prepared by a local legal office or lawyer. This, however, can take longer and usually turns out more expensive.
Lastly, it is also possible to find printed POA forms you can fill in from Rhode Island government offices such as the DMV. These just need to be filled in correctly and signed.
Rhode Island Power of Attorney Requirements
There are a few important things you need to know before signing a Rhode Island POA. Firstly, you must make sure all the parties involved are legally fit to sign contracts.
To be considered competent to sign a contract, parties must:
Be over 18 years of age
Show they are mentally competent
Demonstrably understand the powers being granted
If you choose a financial institution as an Agent, they must have trust powers and a registered office in Rhode Island.
Also, there are set rules in place in RI which police how a completed Power of Attorney must be signed and put into action. Rhode Island law dictates in this case that:
The Principal and Agent must both sign the document.
The signing must be overseen by a notary public, who will also sign.
If the Agent(s) will manage real estate for the principal, the form must be registered with the local clerk of the county where the property is situated within 30 days of signing.
A notary public must also be present at the signing and must sign the document too.
Read more about RI Power of Attorneys in the Rhode Island statutes.
Rhode Island Power of Attorney Sample
Looking over a completed Rhode Island POA sample is a good place to start when you’re planning to create your own document. Use our template example below to understand the information that goes into this form and to learn more about what your document can do.
FAQs About Rhode Island Power of Attorney Forms
It is important to have a good understanding of what RI Power of Attorney forms can do before filling in your own. Read through our FAQs below to get a better idea of the key information needed as well as any other special considerations.
Where Can I Get a Power of Attorney in Rhode Island?
It is possible to create your own RI Power of Attorney easily online with our easy contract maker. Alternatively, you can find templates for certain types of POA at your local DMV or can pay to have a legal expert draft and complete your document.
Who Should Be Your Rhode Island POA Agent?
When choosing the right Agent for your Rhode Island POA, it is essential to pick a person (or people) that you trust implicitly.
By granting Power of Attorney to someone, you allow them to hold a large amount of responsibility for your financial or even bodily wellbeing. An Agent therefore must be someone you know that will take the actions that serve these interests best.
How Long Does a Rhode Island Power of Attorney Last for?
Depending on the type of POA you create, a Rhode Island Power of Attorney can potentially last until your death.
If you create a Durable Power of Attorney in Rhode Island, unless you specify otherwise, your Agent will retain their powers until they are revoked or you pass away. This is of course, unless your POA document specifies a set date that the powers will lapse.
With a RI General Power of Attorney, however, your Agent will not be able to act for you after you become incapacitated for any reason due to injury, disability or advanced old age. These agreements end instantly if the Principal is no longer mentally sound, falls unconscious, or dies.