The Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School has released a free, downloadable Durable Power of Attorney for Finances. The document, which is intended for use in Michigan, allows a person to name someone to make financial decisions on their behalf either now or if they become incapacitated.
In 2020, the Kimble Center released a Medical Power of Attorney. With this new document, the center continues carrying out its mission to produce and make available to consumers legal documents that are easily understandable.
"Like the Medical Power of Attorney, the Durable Power of Attorney for Finances went through multiple drafts, was reviewed by legal experts and plain-language experts, was tested with typical users, and was designed by specialists in user-friendly document design," said Joseph Kimble, the center's senior director. "Our goal is to create legal forms that are uniquely clear, attractive, and easy to use. I think readers will see this at a glance."
The Kimble Center's Medical Power of Attorney won a ClearMark Award from the Center for Plain Language. Both forms earned the WriteMark Plus designation for plain language from Write Limited, a New Zealand consulting organization. Both are screen readable and can be filled in online. They are available on the center's website: www.cooley.edu/academics/kimble-center-writing. The medical form is also available on the website of Michigan Legal Help (https://michiganlegalhelp.org), and financial form will be added in the near future.
WMU-Cooley Law School created the Kimble Center in 2018. Joseph Kimble is a distinguished professor emeritus.
