101 Law Forms for Personal Use

Nolo Editors

• Publisher: NOLO
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781413326574
• eBook ISBN: 9781413326581
• Edition: 11
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Law

Reliable legal forms for common personal and family transactions

At one time or another, we all need to get an agreement in writing. But where to start? 101 Law Forms for Personal Use makes it easy to create legal agreements and organize essential information. The plain-English instructions will help you:

Plan your estate: Make a simple will and use worksheets to track beneficiaries and assets.

Delegate authority: Create temporary guardianship of a child, pet care agreements, limited powers of attorney, and other essential documents.

Rent out a place to live: Use the rental application, move-in letter, checklist, notice of needed repairs, and other forms.

Buy a house: Run the numbers with a financial statement, and then use the house comparison worksheet, moving checklist, and other forms.

Borrow or lend money: Prepare a solid legal contract (promissory note). Included are five forms—one for every common borrowing/lending situation.

Sell personal property: All the agreements you need to sell a motor vehicle, boat, or other valuable property.

101 Law Forms for Personal Use can also help you:

• settle legal disputes
• handle personal finances
• hire household help
• deal with spammers and telemarketers
• and much more

With Downloadable Forms: you can download and customize all of the agreements, checklists, and other forms in this book (details inside).

CHAPTER

1

Delegating Authority to Care for Children, Pets, and Property

Form 1: Temporary Guardianship Authorization for Care of Minor

Form 2: Authorization for Minor’s Medical Treatment

Form 3: Authorization for International Travel With Minor

Form 4: House-Sitting Instructions

Form 5: Children’s Carpool Agreement

Form 6: Pet Care Agreement

Form 7: Authorization to Drive a Motor Vehicle

Form 8: Power of Attorney for Finances (Limited Power)

Form 9: Power of Attorney for Real Estate

Form 10: Notice of Revocation of Power of Attorney

Human beings can be distinguished from the rest of the animal kingdom in one fundamental way: the ability to reason or make decisions. Many of the key decisions we make as adults affect the care of our children, finances, and property. And sometimes, when we know we won’t be available to make these decisions, we appoint a person we trust to do so. This chapter includes a temporary guardianship authorization, a power of attorney for finances, and several forms you can use to delegate decision making to others in a few common situations. It also includes forms to provide instructions for the care of your home and pets.

TIP

When it comes to care of your children, be sure you choose the right person. While it’s important to prepare a sound agreement authorizing someone to care for your children when you can’t, your children’s interests aren’t served if you don’t choose a good caretaker. So be sure you pick someone you trust completely to follow your wishes for your child’s care.

Form 1: Temporary Guardianship Authorization for Care of Minor

You may find it necessary to leave your child in the care of another adult for a few days, weeks, or months. If so, you should give the caretaker permission to authorize medical care and make other important decisions for your child. This includes school-related decisions—for example, if your child needs approval to go on a field trip, or becomes ill and needs to be picked up from school.

When you complete a temporary guardianship authorization, you are establishing what the law calls an “informal guardianship.” By contrast, a formal guardianship requires court approval and is used most often when a child will be in a guardian’s care for a long period of time—for example, when a young child moves in with his or her grandparents because the parents have died. A formal guardianship permits the guardian to make more extensive decisions for a child, such as taking the child out of one school and registering him or her at another.

An informal or temporary guardianship is most often used in these two situations:

•You will be traveling or otherwise unavailable for a relatively short period of time—for example, due to a hospital stay—and will leave your child in another adult’s care.

•Your child lives with you and a stepparent who has not legally adopted your child. Because you travel frequently, the stepparent commonly functions as the primary caregiver.

If you have more than one child, you should prepare a separate temporary guardianship authorization for each child.

RELATED TOPIC

Authorizing medical care. When you make a temporary guardianship authorization, you should also consider making an Authorization for Minor’s Medical Treatment, discussed below. Although the temporary guardianship form gives the temporary guardian explicit permission to authorize medical examinations, X-rays, hospital care, and other necessary treatments, the medical treatment authorization form allows you to spell out your child’s medical history and needs in more detail. The two forms work well together. Whichever form you complete, you should speak with the pediatrician’s office so that they know that the person you name as temporary guardian has your permission to make health care decisions for your child.

Signing Instructions

The parent(s) and the temporary guardian must sign the Temporary Guardianship Authorization for Care of Minor before it will be valid. Print out two copies of the form (or enough copies to give each person who will be signing the form). The parent(s) and the temporary guardian should sign and date all copies of the authorization form. Give one of the signed documents to the temporary guardian. Keep the other signed document for your own records and store it in a safe place.

FORM

Notarization is optional. You can choose to have a form notarized, but it’s not required. (See the Introduction for general advice on having a form notarized.) Notarization will add a measure of legal credibility, but it isn’t usually necessary. For example, you probably don’t need to have your temporary guardianship authorization form notarized if you will be leaving your child with a grandparent for a few days. But if you will be away from your child for a long time—especially if your child stays with a nonrelative—it may be a good idea to visit a notary.

Form 2: Authorization for Minor’s Medical Treatment

You can use a medical care authorization to permit an adult that you name to authorize necessary medical or dental care for your child. This can help you rest easier when your child is participating in sports or other organized activity outside of your supervision. You should provide this authorization to any adult who will be caring for your child when you are away, including babysitters and temporary guardians. This form provides details on your child’s doctor, dentist, insurance, allergies, and ongoing medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma, as well as information on how to reach you while your child is in another’s care.

If your child is participating in a specified activity, such as a basketball league or dance lessons, the sponsoring organization may give you its own medical authorization to fill out. But if the organization doesn’t give you a form, you should take the time to complete this one.

Signing Instructions

You (the parent[s]) must sign the Authorization for Minor’s Medical Treatment document for it to be valid. Make two copies of the form and sign and date both. Give one of the signed documents to the person who has permission to authorize medical treatment for your child. Keep the other signed document for your own records and store it in a safe place.

FORM

Notarization is optional. You can choose to have a form notarized, but it’s not required. (See the Introduction for general advice on having a form notarized.) Notarization will add a measure of legal credibility, but it isn’t usually necessary.

Form 3: Authorization for International Travel With Minor

Your child is unlikely to be permitted to travel outside the United States with someone other than a parent or legal guardian unless the travel companion has documentation showing the person’s legal relationship to your child and his or her authority to travel with your child. If you are planning a trip for your child, you should prepare an authorization for international travel. This form provides necessary proof that you have given consent for your child to leave the country with another adult. It also provides information about the child’s travel plans and contact information for you (the parents).

If you have more than one child who will be traveling outside the country with another adult, prepare a separate authorization form for each child.

In planning your child’s trip, you should check travel rules carefully. Start by calling the embassy or consulate for the country to which your child will be traveling. Ask whether the country has any rules or regulations governing adults traveling with an unrelated minor. Chances are good that the country does not, but it’s always good to ask. If there are special requirements, you and the child’s adult traveling companion can prepare for them in advance.

RELATED TOPIC

Authorizing medical care. This form does not permit the person traveling with your child to authorize medical care for the minor. To ensure that your child can receive any necessary medical treatment while traveling, you should also complete the Authorization for Minor’s Medical Treatment, discussed just above.

Signing Instructions

You (the parent[s]) must sign the Authorization for International Travel With Minor for it to be valid. Make two copies of the form. You and your child’s other parent (if any) should sign and date both copies of the document. If you and your child’s other parent are divorced or separated, you must still obtain the signature of the second parent before authorizing your child to leave the country with another adult. This will eliminate the possibility that foreign authorities will detain the travelers, suspecting a violation of child custody laws.

Give one of the signed documents to the person who has permission to travel with your child. Keep the other signed document for your own records and store it in a safe place.

FORM

Your international travel authorization should be notarized. To have a form no...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• I Introduction
• 1 Delegating Authority to Care for Children, Pets, and Property
• 2 Basic Estate Planning
• 3 Things to Do After a Death: Documents for Executors
• 4 Renting a Place to Live
• 5 Borrowing and Lending Money
• 6 Buying a House
• 7 Buying or Selling a Car, Dog, or Personal Property
• 8 Renting Personal Property and Storing Goods
• 9 Home Repairs and Maintenance
• 10 Handling Personal Finances
• 11 Dealing With Junk Mail and Telemarketing Calls
• 12 Hiring Child Care, Elder Care, or Household Help
• 13 Living Together
• 14 Settling Legal Disputes
• 15 Miscellaneous Forms for Personal Use
• Appendixes
• Index