Financial & Medical Powers of Attorney for Mandeville and the Surrounding Parish
In Louisiana, a power of attorney is formally called a mandate, governed by the Louisiana Civil Code. The person granting authority is the principal; the person receiving it is the mandatary, Louisiana’s civil-law equivalent of an agent. At Olsen Law Office, we help residents throughout St. Tammany Parish prepare these documents with clear language, proper execution, and transparent pricing.
Financial & Medical Powers of Attorney: What We Draft
We prepare two types of power of attorney documents for St. Tammany Parish clients. A Financial Power of Attorney authorizes your mandatary to handle banking, bill payment, property transactions, and other financial affairs on your behalf. A Medical Power of Attorney authorizes that person to make health care decisions when you can’t speak for yourself.
Each document is available individually at $100, or you can include both in our $600 Estate Bundle, which also covers a Last Will and Testament, Living Will, and Affidavit of Disposition. Couples planning together can choose the Sweetheart Bundle at $1,200, which provides the full set of documents for each spouse or significant other. You know the cost before you commit.
How Louisiana Law Governs a Mandate
Louisiana hasn’t adopted the Uniform Power of Attorney Act used in most states, so there’s no state-provided form to fill out. The scope of your mandatary’s authority depends entirely on the language written into the document. Getting that language right matters.
Execution Requirements
Execution requirements vary by purpose. A mandate authorizing the sale or mortgage of real estate must be executed as an authentic act, meaning it must be signed before a notary and two competent witnesses. A mandate for routine financial management, such as handling a bank account, doesn’t carry the same formal requirement under the mandate articles themselves, though financial institutions routinely ask for a notarized document anyway.
Powers That Must Be Expressly Stated
Certain powers must be expressly stated in the mandate rather than implied by a general grant of authority. These include:
Selling or encumbering property
Making a gift
Accepting or renouncing a succession
Contracting a loan
Making health care decisions
If the document doesn’t say it, the mandatary can’t do it. That rule, found in Louisiana Civil Code articles 2996 and 2997, is one of the most common sources of confusion when someone tries to rely on a document that wasn’t carefully drafted.
Incapacity, Termination, & Interdiction in St. Tammany Parish
One practical advantage of a Louisiana mandate is that it doesn’t automatically terminate when the principal becomes incapacitated. Under Civil Code article 3026, the mandate continues through disability unless the document itself says otherwise. This differs from common-law states, where a “durable” clause must be added to achieve the same result.
A mandate ends upon the death of the principal or mandatary, and also terminates once a court interdicts the principal and a curator is appointed to take over. Interdiction is Louisiana’s court-supervised process for managing the affairs of an adult who became incapacitated without a mandate in place. It requires filing a petition, generally involves a medical examination, and culminates in a hearing before a judge. For St. Tammany Parish residents, that proceeding would be filed in the 22nd Judicial District Court in Covington. The process is more costly, more time-consuming, and more public than having a mandate prepared in advance.
Why St. Tammany Parish Clients Work With Olsen Law Office
We approach estate planning with a practical mindset. When a client sits down to discuss a power of attorney, we focus on their actual circumstances: who they trust, what authority that person needs, and whether a standalone document or a full bundle makes more sense for their situation. Pricing is published and itemized, so whether you need a single Medical Power of Attorney or a complete set of estate planning documents, you’ll know what it costs before any work begins. We serve clients throughout St. Tammany Parish, including Mandeville, Covington, and the communities in between.
Schedule a Power of Attorney Consultation
If you don’t have a power of attorney in place, now is a good time to prepare one. We can walk you through your options, explain what authority each document conveys, and draft the mandate that fits your needs.
Lindsey is a lifelong resident of the Northshore, having graduated from Fontainebleau High School. She then went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University, and her Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. During her time spent at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, she was a student practitioner in the Family Law Section of the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice.
“She is very organized and efficient and clearly explained the final steps of the process.”
Lindsey Olsen provided an excellent service and put her vast knowledge of family and estate planning on full display. She is a true professional and made all of the concerning legal matters regarding our wills and continuing tutorship for our special needs son a walk in the park. She is very organized and efficient and clearly explained the final steps of the process. We enjoyed working with Lindsey and certainly recommend her to other prospective clients.
Lisa & Craig
“Proved to be reliable, trustworthy and honest.”
When my father passed away. We reached out to Lindsey Olsen to do his succession. It was a very difficult time for my mother, brother, and I. She was incredibly patient and professional. All our questions were answered and the process was as smooth as possible. She proved to be reliable, trustworthy and honest. We will definitely use her services again.
Cheraine
“I am so grateful for her services.”
Lindsey has such a calm and empathetic demeanor. She offered so much emotional support for my family and I while remaining focused on our best interest at all times, she explains everything in detail, and is readily available to answer any of my questions. Lindsey is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and to the point. I am so grateful for her services.
