Power of Attorney Lawyer Serving the DMV
Thienel Law prepares durable and limited powers of attorney for adults across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, with tax counsel built in. Schedule a free consultation.
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A power of attorney is the legal document that lets you name someone to handle your money and legal affairs if you cannot. Thienel Law prepares durable and limited powers of attorney for adults across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, with the tax side handled in-house.
Most people set up a power of attorney for a moment they hope never comes: a hospital stay, a stroke, a stretch of travel when someone has to pay the bills. The document names an agent, sometimes called an attorney-in-fact, to act for you on financial and legal matters. Thienel Law prepares these documents for adults across the DMV and fits each one to the rest of your estate plan. Because Stephen Thienel holds an LL.M. in Taxation and prepares returns in-house, the tax questions that come with letting someone manage your accounts are answered by the same attorney who drafts the document.
What is a power of attorney, and who needs one?
A power of attorney is a legal document in which you, the principal, give another person authority to act for you. That agent can handle the financial and legal matters you list, such as paying bills, managing accounts, filing taxes, or selling property. A durable power of attorney keeps working if you become incapacitated, which is what makes it a planning tool rather than a convenience.
This document covers money and property. Decisions about your medical care run through a separate advance healthcare directive, so a complete plan usually includes both. Nearly every adult benefits from a durable financial power of attorney, but some situations make one pressing: business owners, single adults with no obvious backup, and anyone facing surgery, deployment, or extended travel.
What happens if you lose capacity without a power of attorney?
If you cannot manage your finances and no valid power of attorney is in place, no one has automatic authority to step in. A spouse or adult child cannot take over your accounts, sign for your property, or deal with your lender.
The fix at that point is a court proceeding. Someone has to ask a court to appoint a guardian or conservator to manage your affairs. That costs time and money, and it puts a judge, not you, in charge of who serves. A power of attorney signed while you still have capacity avoids that. You choose your own agent in advance, on your own terms, and can keep your family out of guardianship court entirely.
What does Thienel Law prepare when you set up a power of attorney?
Thienel Law builds each power of attorney around your assets, your family, and your jurisdiction, not a form pulled off a website.
- A durable financial power of attorney that stays in effect if you later lose capacity, which is the version most planning calls for.
- A limited or special power of attorney when you need to authorize one transaction, such as a closing while you are out of the country.
- Clear terms that spell out what the agent can and cannot do, from banking and real estate to taxes and business interests.
- A successor agent, so the document still works if your first choice cannot serve.
- A choice between a power that takes effect immediately and one that springs into effect only on incapacity, with the trade-offs explained.
- Execution that meets your jurisdiction’s signing, notary, and witness rules, so banks and other institutions accept it.
- Coordination with your will, any trust, and your healthcare documents, so nothing contradicts.
What is it like to set up a power of attorney with Steve?
Every engagement begins with a free 30-minute consultation. It is a fit conversation for people who are ready to hire an estate planning attorney: you describe your situation and who you trust to act for you, and you and Steve decide together whether working with him makes sense. From there you work directly with Stephen Thienel, not a rotating cast of staff.
The practice runs online. Secure video meetings, shared folders, and electronic signatures let you handle the work from home. Steve makes sure the signing meets your jurisdiction’s notary and witness rules, so the document holds up when someone needs to use it.
How do power of attorney rules differ in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia?
All three jurisdictions start from the same idea. You sign the document, and it is acknowledged before a notary. Where they differ is in the extra formalities and the defaults.
Maryland is the strictest on signing. A financial power of attorney signed in Maryland must be acknowledged before a notary and also attested and signed by two adult witnesses, though the notary can serve as one of them. Virginia and D.C. do not require witnesses at all; a signature acknowledged before a notary carries the document, and in D.C. that notarization is what makes it valid.
Virginia and D.C. agree on durability by default. In Virginia, a power of attorney is durable unless it says it ends at incapacity, and D.C. follows the same rule. A power of attorney is effective as soon as you sign it unless you write it to spring into effect later, and both Virginia and D.C. provide a physician-determination step for a document that springs on incapacity. Because Stephen Thienel is licensed in all three, one attorney can prepare a power of attorney that is valid where you live now and holds up if you move.
Where does a power of attorney fit in your estate plan?
A power of attorney protects you while you are alive. It works alongside the documents that direct your property and your care.
What clients say about working with Steve
I have worked with Steve Thienel for more than 20 years now and the experience has been amazing. Steve and his team are very thorough, they review all sides of a situation, and are very measured in how they approach a solution. They are 100% client focused and a pleasure to work with!
Throughout years, Steve has been my go to guy for business, real estate, and legal work. Steve works fast and is highly reliable. I would recommend Steve to anyone.
Received expert advice including options when applicable. Filings were timely and I was kept informed each step of the way. First class service!!!
I have been receiving services from Mr. Thienel for over 15 years. I have found his legal services to be of exceptionally high value and quality. His services are always timely, professional and thorough!
Reviews are published as given. Thienel Law does not offer compensation for reviews.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a power of attorney and a will?
A power of attorney works while you are alive and names someone to manage your finances if you cannot. A will works only after you die and directs who receives your property. Most plans need both, since a power of attorney keeps your affairs running if you are incapacitated but still living.
What is a durable power of attorney?
A durable power of attorney is one that stays in effect if you later become incapacitated. That durability is the whole point for planning, since a document that ended at incapacity would fail at the exact moment you need it. In Virginia and D.C., a power of attorney is durable by default unless it states that it ends on incapacity.
Does a power of attorney cover medical decisions?
No. A financial power of attorney covers money and property. Decisions about your medical treatment run through a separate advance healthcare directive, sometimes called a healthcare power of attorney. A complete plan usually includes both, and Thienel Law prepares [advance directives](/advance-directive-attorney) alongside the financial document.
When does a power of attorney take effect?
A power of attorney is effective as soon as you sign it, unless you write it to take effect later or only on your incapacity. A document that springs into effect on incapacity requires proof of incapacity before the agent can act, which adds a step. Steve explains the trade-off so you can choose.
Do the signing rules differ across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia?
Yes. All three require your signature and a notary. Maryland also requires two adult witnesses, while Virginia and D.C. require only notarization. Because Stephen Thienel is licensed in all three, he can prepare or review your document wherever you live.
Ready to put a power of attorney in place across the DMV?
Stephen Thienel prepares durable and limited powers of attorney for adults across the DMV, with the tax side handled by the same attorney. If you are ready to hire an estate planning attorney, schedule a free 30-minute consultation and see whether the fit is right.
- Tell Steve about your matter
- Pick a time that works