Legal forms for school kids

By Patricia Nugent

As the kiddos head off to school this month, the barrage of forms, physicals, school supply-buying and preparation comes to an end. But one consideration you may not have thought of is having the appropriate legal forms in place for your school-age or college-age children.

Attorney Margaret T. Karl provides some insight.

“It’s getting more and more common for working parents to have their parents chip in and help, picking the kids up from school, dropping off to practice, or going to doctor’s appointments,” she says. “From a legal standpoint, you should have a document such as an agreement in place granting them the authority on your behalf to do that.”

People often think it’s sufficient to just call or email the school to alert them the grandparents will be in charge for whatever time period, she adds, but that’s not enough.

Another situation many parents are not aware of is when their children go off to college. Even though they are usually paying the bill, if there’s an accident or medical situation and your child is over 18, and you do not have a healthcare power of attorney in place, you cannot gain access to information about your child or make decisions.

Drafting any of the necessary documents to lend parents peace of mind is a quick and easy process. Give Margie a call.

Margaret T. Karl, attorney at law, is located at 25800 North Depot Street, Suite 102, in Olmsted Falls. Call 440-782-5051 or visit OlmstedOhioLaw.com.

Find out all the dos and don’ts of estate planning for seniors from Attorney Margaret T. Karl at an informational seminar on Thursday, September 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Brookdale Montrose, 100 Brookmont Road, in Akron.