This column first appeared in the San Antonio Express News and other Hearst Newspapers on October 30, 2018. Dear Mr. Premack: My father signed a Durable Power of Attorney about ten years ago, naming me as his Agent. For a long time, I didn’t need to do anything to help him, but now he is in a nursing home and is confused. I plan to sell his car, but the dealer is refusing to accept the power of attorney as-is. They say they want one of their own employees to be substituted as

This column appeared in the San Antonio Express-News on January 5, 2018. Dear Mr. Premack: My grandmother made me a 25% heir of her estate in her Will. Three daughters with her first husband were left the other 75%. My mother, who had a different father, was not included as an heir. Grandmother died in late November 2017. After the funeral, I found out my aunt, who was Agent in my Grandmother’s Durable Power of Attorney, signed a Lady Bird Deed on my grandmother’s house and a

This column first appeared in the San Antonio Express News on April 17, 2017. Let’s define some terms. A Power of Attorney (POA) is a entrustment of authority from a Principal to an Agent. The “Principal” is the maker of the POA. An “Agent” is the person to whom authority has been entrusted. In your case, mother is the Principal, sister is the Agent. Every POA should be “Durable”, which means that it does not cease if the Principal becomes disabled. If it is not Durable, the