Champaign, IL asked in Estate Planning, Family Law and Consumer Law for Illinois

Q: My mother went into a nursing home and I didn't think to turn off utilities. As power of attorney am I responsible?

2 Lawyer Answers

A: Yes, it is a power of atty's responsibility to c that her bills are paid out of her income.

A: If you are not on the account, you are not personally liable.

However, it makes sense to pay the bill to avoid them suing your mother.

Hopefully, you have a solid mother-son relationship because she can certainly sue you for not having properly taken care of her affairs that were entrusted to you.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.