Guard Your Grad

Special Event for New High School Graduates in Sussex County

Two Documents Every 18 Year-Old Should Sign

In most states, once a child turns 18, their parents no longer have the authority to make health care decisions or manage money for their children.

This means, if a young adult is in an accident and becomes disabled, a parent might need court approval to act on his or her behalf or to even get important information.

250,000 Americans Between 18 and 25 Hospitalized For Injuries Each Year

Consider this true story from parents that called our office recently. Their 19-year-old college sophomore developed a severe intestinal bug that landed him in the college infirmary after traveling to Mexico for Spring Break. The parents rushed to visit him, but were denied any information of their son’s condition by the doctors, who cited privacy concerns.

The college-student fully recovered, but his parents were left wondering what would have happened if it turned out to be more serious. Who would have been able to make the important decisions when their son couldn’t do so for himself?

Health Care Proxy and Durable Power of Attorney

To avoid these, or even more serious situations, your child can execute two very important legal documents: a Health Care Proxy and a Durable Power of Attorney.

Health Care Proxy is a document which names a person to act on your (child’s) behalf to make healthcare decisions and to discuss treatment options if he/she becomes incapacitated. A living will is often paired with a Health Care Proxy, and helps the proxy to make decisions in accordance with your child’s wishes.

The Durable Power of Attorney authorizes an agent to manage finances and sign legal documents on your behalf if you become incapacitated. For young-adults this allows the designated agent to access bank accounts, manage their accounts and gain access to important documents.

Askin & Hooker’s Guard Your Grad is Available Through July and August 2023.

We are offering a special event for this year’s Sussex County high school graduates to help them execute their own Health Care Proxy and Durable Power of Attorney. We just need a little bit of information from the graduate (download the form here) and a 30-minute meeting (book an appointment here).

Fee: FREE for Sussex County Residents
Date: July and August
Time: Regular business hours
Location: Askin & Hooker, Attorneys at Law, 200 Woodport Rd., Sparta, NJ 07871

The applicant must be 18+ years of age and a Sussex County Resident to apply.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Does my child need to be there?
   ​Yes, as a young-adult, they are the responsible for executing these two very-important documents.
2. My graduate is 17, can they still apply?
   ​Unfortunately, 17-year-olds are not eligible to execute these documents.