Back to School with Big Kids

Legal documents you need when your kid turns 18

Launching kiddos can get pretty emotional for all of us, including this Dad. It’s also busy. While we are having so much fun with a graduating senior heading off to college, like Casey “Special K” Krueger here, this Season of Life post is about an often-overlooked topic that is not fun to talk about.

I asked Shelley to share her experience and wisdom around this season and write a post with a simple checklist. Before we can have more fun, we will cover a “first things first” topic we strongly encourage you to not overlook.  For our partners at Freedom Day Solutions, we have resources available to help take care of this.  -Ryan

Shelley Sodaro, Director of Insurance

As summer ends and fall approaches, with hopefully some much cooler temperatures, I am reminded from almost every direction that children are once again heading back to school. As parents take their kids for sports physicals and shopping for clothes, backpacks, and school supplies, those with college-aged young adults should also consider putting certain legal documents in place.       

We can take for granted that our parental status will give us access and a voice to our children’s financial records and medical care. However, once they become full-fledged adults, at age eighteen, that voice will be silenced, and our access will be cut off without the proper attorney-drafted documents in place. We all applaud privacy rules, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), but some have never considered how those rights affect their ability to still parent their young adult children.

Countless parents have learned this lesson the hard way. We all fear the phone call that our child has an illness or has been in an accident of some kind. Imagine the horror of rushing to the hospital, only to find you cannot speak on behalf of your incapacitated child or have any input regarding their care because they are no longer a minor.

Whether your child is venturing off to a school far away or staying close to home, it is important to have the following legal documents in place after they turn eighteen so you can ensure they are protected.

• HIPAA Release Form

• Medical Power of Attorney

• Statutory Durable Power of Attorney

• FERPA Authorization Form

With proper planning, you will never have to experience that feeling of helplessness, and you can provide yourself with peace of mind as your child pursues their dreams.

Four years ago, I set up these legal forms for my daughter, never imagining how quickly the time would fly. In what feels like the blink of an eye, she has now graduated from UT and is heading off to graduate school!

I am so proud of the young woman she has become and excited to see where this next chapter takes her. Proud mom alert!  If you would like additional information, let me know, I’m here for you. -Shelley

If you have any questions, always let us know how we can help: team@freedomdaysolutions.com