Power of Attorney

[Trivone (Austin's Mom)]

Should parents have in hand the Power of Attorney before deployment.

[Mom25]

You never know what is going to come up, so it's good for them to give one to their closest and most trusted relative that will act in his best interests. If you have communication while he's deployed it's best to get his approval before doing anything. My husband wrote specifically in his POA on his last deployment that I could sell the house and buy a new one! Never pay for one. It should be done through JAG. It can be tricky to conduct business here in the states when you're the opposite side of the globe.

[Achseh]

When we bought our house, my husband was in one state, I in another. We each needed a specific POA to handle the real estate deals which also included an exact amount that we could sign for (the sale price). As you've illustrated, a general POA won't do in all cases.

[Dee]

Yes, as stated many times over here... have a power of attorney. But, also be aware, there are different types of Power of Attorneys. Some places will require a specific or special POA.... some will require a Durable POA... if you only want to be able to handle certain affairs, such as cars, apartment/house... you can get one specifically for those. But, also be aware that if a POA is given to a girlfriend, friend or even a wife... things CAN bite you in the rear. My fiancee's now ex-wife used her POA when she was married to co-sign on a home loan for her sister (without his consent or knowledge) and they defaulted on the mortgage... foreclosed on the property... and it remained on his credit for 7 years!

[intheknow]

I disagree - sort of. Not every parent should have POA. The Sailor needs to designate who they deem appropriate. In most cases the likely candidate is the parent but there are instances where that just isn't the case. POA's can be great tools when in the right hands...but they can be downright distructive when in the wrong hands.

[Mom25]

Every service member needs to evaluate their situation Without the proper POAs my husband's latest deployment would have posed some major problems for us as far as personal finances were concerned. Trust and good judgement are essential. My son would have been in hot water during his deployment in 2003 had I not had one.