The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm Owner, Shannon Pawley, explains the importance of two Power of Attorney documents that every 18-year-old college student should not leave home without.

DECATUR, GA, August ••, 2023: Shannon Pawley, Owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, has posted a new article on the law firm’s website entitled “Your College-Bound 18-Year-Old Needs Two Important Legal Documents.” Ms. Pawley clarifies the importance for parents that their kids have two Power of Attorney documents to file with their schools.

Pawley states, “Sending a teenager off to college is typically accomplished with a healthy mixture of emotions that include excitement and slight trepidation. It’s normal for both the parents and the child to experience these emotions.”

“If you’re sending your teenager off to college for the first time and they are 18 or older,” Pawley writes, “you’ll want to make sure they have two important legal documents to give to the university so that you will have rights that you’re likely not ready to give up at this point in your child’s life. The first document is a Health Care Power of Attorney (HCPOA). The second is a Financial Power of Attorney (FPOA).”

As Pawley notes, “Most parents don’t consider the full implications that comes with being considered an adult at the age of 18.” She adds, “Especially when you’re footing the bill for college expenses. You see,” says Pawley, “once 18, your child is considered an adult for certain purposes in most states, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws prevent a parent from automatically having the right to check grades, receive tuition bills or obtain information regarding their child’s healthcare.” She emphasizes, “This is why a student must give explicit permission through a Power of Attorney form to ensure their parents’ access to health, financial and educational information.”

The entire article can be read at LINK HERE

About The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm

The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm was established to serve the legal needs of retiring citizens. The Firm focuses its entire practice on providing strategies to protect independence, privacy, assets and taxes from the government. Shannon Pawley has grown her law practice by providing excellent customer satisfaction with personalized wealth protection plans.

About Shannon M. Pawley, J.D., LL.M

As the owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, Shannon M. Pawley and her entire team share a passion which focuses on being able to serve the legal needs of retiring individuals. In our firm, WE BELIEVE that people should not have to lose everything they’ve worked a lifetime to earn and that every person is an individual who deserves respect and the highest quality of life possible, regardless of age or ability. We also believe that privacy and protection are the keys to personal peace. Born and raised in the Tidewater area of Virginia to a tightknit family with strong military service roots, Shannon learned from an early age the value of hard work and the importance of social awareness to ensure you always leave a situation in a better place than how you entered it. In her junior year of high school, Shannon served as U.S. House of Representatives Page during the 101st United States Congressional Session in Washington, D.C. This experience exposed her to numerous new cultures and worldly issues. Walking away from her experience as a U.S. House of Representative Page, Shannon knew that she wanted to pursue legal studies and be able to assist others in obtaining the best results available in difficult situations.

Shannon earned her undergraduate degree at North Carolina Wesleyan College and pursued a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. After obtaining her law degree and becoming a licensed attorney in Michigan, she continued her educational pursuit by acquiring a LL.M. (Master of Law) in Taxation from Wayne State University. After moving to Georgia in 2018, Shannon obtained her Georgia law license and has enjoyed being able to pursue her desire of ensuring persons are able to age with dignity, grace and independence.