Barrington Patch: Powers of Attorney are important components of most estate plans. Today’s column explains the purpose of two types of Powers of Attorney — the Power of Attorney for Property and the Power of Attorney for Health Care.

Hello Lisa, My wife and I recently met with a lawyer to have our wills done. The lawyer told us we should also have “Powers of Attorney.”  We don’t understand why. Could you please explain why we should have these Powers of Attorney?   Thanks, Joe

Dear Joe,

Thanks for your question. Many people share your confusion about the purpose of a Power of Attorney (POA). First of all, it is important to understand that there are two different types of POA’s that are central to most estate plans.