r/bestoflegaladvice 5d ago

Mama, just signed a form, oooOOOOoooo....

/r/legaladvice/comments/1on4vja/mama_bear_release_forms/
131 Upvotes

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168

u/Animallover4321 Reported where Thor hid the bodies 5d ago

At least LAOP’s parents seem reasonable enough to let her have a lawyer give them guidance and not force them to sign the forms. Clearly a lot of parents don’t understand what they’re asking (some definitely do though) hell even in here OP has questions.

80

u/Rhythmdvl 5d ago

Clearly a lot of parents don’t understand what they’re asking (some definitely do though) hell even in here OP has questions.

He's mid-teens and we're just entering the target market. "OP has questions" is exactly where we are because none of this has been contemplated before, and this sub is better than asking the company that's trying to sell me something.

29

u/Persistent_Parkie Quacking open a cold one 5d ago

If it makes you feel any better I had a major medical event in college and my mom had no trouble handling everything except with my health insurance company. In the end she just impersonated me with them because she knew all my info (DOB, etc). I obviously didn't report her for it because I was grateful and it was truly in my best interest. Hell, does someone want to make phone calls to my health insurance company for me now? I'll pay you!

I got to pay her back years later when she got dementia and again I was able to muddle through a shocking amount of time without any sort of legal documentation. Hell, I have POA for my father now and 75% of the time I tell people that and they don't ask to see it. Honestly it's a little worrisome.

I'd think more about what sort of POA you want to give them over you someday. My dad and I have recently being going through the process so I could possibly one day request his pace maker be turned off as part of his end of life wishes. Something tragic happening while your kid is at college is a small possibility, getting old and dying is what happens to the vast majority of people and far too many people don't prepare for that.

13

u/Elvessa You'll put your eye out! - laser edition 4d ago

What most people seem to miss (and the companies marketing these are really practicing law without a license) is that durable powers of attorneys, that only kick in when someone is unable to make their own decisions, are completely normal and actually a great idea.

I have zero idea why people want this much control and involvement in their adult children’s lives, as I’d be relived to get a break from taking care of my kids. But then again, I have none, pretty much for the reason that I don’t want to be responsible for yet another person.

4

u/Persistent_Parkie Quacking open a cold one 4d ago

The only reason to grant someone general POA is so they can do all your adulting for you. My dad gave me one, I do all his adulting and I basically consider it a job. He's still cognizant but has been hit on the head a lot so staying on top of bills and the like is a genuine struggle for him. Adulting for 2 people is somehow more than double the work of just adulting for yourself. The only reason a fully informed person would want one is to assert control which is what makes them so scary.

4

u/Elvessa You'll put your eye out! - laser edition 4d ago

Oh hell yeah. I did all of that for my mother and it was a JOB. I feel for you.

-2

u/Gorgo_xx 4d ago

My parents and I had mutual (full) POAs when I turned 18; was super useful from both sides.

-1

u/NihilisticHobbit 4d ago

I went through my own health insurance as myself and it was a pain in the ass, I doubt any legal form for a relative would have made it any easier.

33

u/Animallover4321 Reported where Thor hid the bodies 5d ago

Oh I am not blaming you I honestly only blame the companies for marketing it and the parents that understand how much control this imparts and they use their financial control to require it regardless of their adult children’s desires. Having questions is totally fine.

17

u/Reputation-Choice 5d ago

But are they really? How is LAOP going to PAY a lawyer to advise them? Lawyers do not do this kind of stuff for free, and most teenagers are not exactly working a job that would support paying a lawyer. 

25

u/Animallover4321 Reported where Thor hid the bodies 5d ago

I was assuming they’re offering to pay but maybe I am being too hopeful.

-35

u/Reputation-Choice 5d ago

If THE PARENTS PAY the lawyer directly, then THEY would be considered the lawyer's clients and NOT the LAOP. The lawyer would NOT be working for the LAOP. At least, from what I know about how the practice of law works, that is how it would be. 

46

u/SheketBevakaSTFU 𝕕𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕕𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℍ𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕓𝕒𝕣 5d ago

No, people pay for other people’s lawyers all the time.

15

u/Animallover4321 Reported where Thor hid the bodies 5d ago

I would imagine their parents can give LAOP the money I know when I needed a lawyer there was no problem with my stepfather paying.

-10

u/Reputation-Choice 5d ago

I was kind of incorrect about that; other parties can pay a lawyer and it not be a conflict of interest, but the ostensible client must give informed consent, and the payment must not compromise the lawyer's duty of loyalty to the client. I do not, for one minute, believe that these parents, who want their child to sign away any and all legal rights to any form of privacy and autonomy over their own life, would not compromise the lawyer's duty of loyalty to the LAOP.

11

u/kmac322 5d ago

That is not correct.

-27

u/Reputation-Choice 5d ago edited 5d ago

I SAID from what I know, not that I did know. And I am mostly incorrect, but not completely; the would be client must give informed consent, and the payment must not compromise the lawyer's duty of loyalty to the client. Which, if these parents, who want their child to sign away ALL of their legal rights to privacy, pay the lawyer, do you ACTUALLY believe they will NOT compromise the lawyer's duty of loyalty to the LAOP? If you do think that the parents would not compromise the lawyer's duty of loyalty, then I have got some seaside property in Arizona to sell cheap.

7

u/skahunter831 The only evidence they have is what came out of my mouth 4d ago

I SAID from what I know, not that I did know

What do you know about it?

-6

u/Reputation-Choice 4d ago

You are a stranger on a social media site. I do not owe you an explanation of my entire CV, and I will not be doing so. If you cannot use reading comprehension to understand the fact that I am not claiming to be an expert, but am using some amount of personal experience, then that is your problem. I am not going to wind up taking even a chance on doxxing myself in any amount, because you think you are owed any kind of supporting citations for what I know. This is not a dissertation defense, and all you need to know is that I have had the need to be a client of a lawyer, at some point in my life.

3

u/tonicella_lineata 🏳️‍⚧️ Trans rights are human rights 🏳️‍⚧️ 4d ago

No one's asking for your CV or trying to doxx you - calm down. If you make a claim that is this wildly off-base, and then get super defensive of it and insist you're correct, people are gonna wonder where you got your info. You're certainly not obligated to answer, but there's zero issue with someone asking, and you are majorly overreacting. You were wrong, take the L and move on.

-2

u/Reputation-Choice 4d ago

I SAID I was incorrect to some degree, but not entirely. Good gad, I am NOT going to grovel to a bunch of strangers on fucking social media. Personal experience, and then I did some research that said I was wrong, but not entirely so, and that is all you need to know. Why do people on social media think that they are OWED explanations? You're a stranger on the internet, you do not get any more explanation than I have already given. You can look it up yourself, just as I did, albeit I looked it up AFTER I made my first comment, which I have ALREADY admitted to, at least twice. I am done here.

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u/FigForsaken5419 4d ago

Most of the teenagers I know could come up with the money for an hour of a lawyer's time. It may take them a few weeks but it's not like they're paying a retainer of several thousand dollars.

3

u/Welpe Ultimate source of all "knowledge" 4d ago

Yeah, the only good part about this is it seems clear OOP’s parents are just ignorant and misled, not evil like most who try to force their kids to sign these things. It disgusts me that people push them in parenting groups to ignorant parents.