Child Reaches Majority

Health care proxies. All members of your family who have attained the age of majority should have signed and updated health care proxies or health care durable powers of attorney. It is also a good idea to list the cellphone numbers of all relevant people on these documents and to give copies of them to your health care agent (the person designated by the health care proxy to make health care decisions) as well as one or two and backup people so that they can be easily accessed.

Having a health care proxy is especially important if you have children going off to college. Under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules, once a child attains the age of majority, his or her parents cannot access the grown child’s medical information without permission. Without a signed health care proxy, you will not able to make medical decisions for your child in the event he or she is unable to make them.