Chevy Chase, MD asked in Elder Law for Maryland

Q: My husband and I currently live in Maryland - and are planning to move to Alabama within the next few months -

will Alabama accept our Maryland prepared will/trust/healthcare documents?

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer

A: Yes. All wills and POAs are valid in any state you move to so long as they were valid under the law of the state where they were made. One caveat: some states have statutory provisions which govern the enforceability of a POA in given circumstances, such as Maryland, which if drafted with certain language imposes an enforceable obligation on third parties to accept the authority of the agent to act. Not all states have passed such legislation, and a MD POA drafted with such language may benefit from that legal enforcement mechanism in MD, but not necessarily in another state that has no such law, or a different language requirement. So, in Alabama, if there is a different statutory language provision that is not mirrored in your MD POA, then in order to get the benefit of that AL law for use of your POA in AL, you would need to have a new POA drafted that comports with the AL law (if any). However, your MD POA in general will still be valid in AL, even if it does not contain the specific AL statutory language (if there is such a statute).

Cedulie Renee Laumann agrees with this answer

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.