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Rhode Island Durable Power of Attorney Lawyer
Planning futures. Protecting legacies. Preserving peace of mind.
The word that matters is durable. An ordinary power of attorney ends when you become incapacitated, which is the one moment your family needs it. A durable power of attorney keeps working, so the person you chose can pay bills, manage accounts, and deal with agencies without a court.
What it prevents
A court guardianship over your finances
Frozen accounts and unpaid bills during an illness
A stranger, or the wrong relative, in charge
35+
Years experience
1,000+
Case representations
100+
Businesses served
24/7
Available to you
Is this for you?
Who this is for, and what it does
This is for you if
You are an adult with any assets or accounts
You are caring for an ageing parent without documents
You have a diagnosis that may affect capacity later
You own a business that would need to keep running
What it does
Authorises your agent to manage finances and property
Survives incapacity, which an ordinary power does not
Can take effect immediately or on a defined event
Is revocable at any time while you have capacity
How it works
From first conversation to signed documents
1
Immediate or springing
Decide whether your agent may act now or only after a physician certifies incapacity. Each has trade-offs we explain.
2
Scope of authority
Banking, real estate, taxes, benefits, insurance, business interests, gifts, and digital accounts, each considered.
3
Rhode Island form
Drafted to the state's statutory requirements and the language institutions expect, with an alternate agent named.
4
Sign and store
Executed with the required formalities, originals kept safe, copies with your agent and key institutions.
What we do for you
How Tarro Law will help you
A plain-English conversation first
You describe your family and what you own. We explain the options without jargon, and you decide.
Documents drafted for Rhode Island
Every document is written to Rhode Island's requirements, not adapted from a generic form.
Scope agreed before we start
You know exactly what is included before any work begins. No open-ended billing on planning work.
Signing done properly
Witnesses, notary, and execution handled so banks, hospitals, and courts accept the documents.
Reviewed as life changes
A marriage, a birth, a move, or a sale can change the plan. We tell you when it is time to revisit it.
Direct access to your attorney
Phone, email, and the client portal, with a lawyer who knows your file. Hablamos español.
Durable Powers of Attorney
What we prepare
The documents and steps that typically make up this work. Not every item applies to every client; we tell you which you need.
Durable financial power of attorney
The core document, surviving incapacity.
Springing provision
Optional trigger on physician certification.
Real estate authority
Power to sell, lease, or refinance property, often recorded.
Business authority
Keeps a company operating if the owner is incapacitated.
Gifting limits
Exactly what your agent may and may not give away.
Agent acceptance
The agent's signed acknowledgement of their duties.
Why it matters
Without a plan, and with one
Situation
Without a plan
With Tarro Law
Ordinary power of attorney
Ends on incapacity
Durable: continues through incapacity
Without any power
Family petitions for guardianship, with hearings and reporting
Agent acts privately under the document
Time to act
Weeks or months for a court appointment
Immediate
Who is in charge
Whoever the court appoints
The person you chose
About the firm
Local roots in Providence. Statewide reach across Rhode Island.
Tarro Law Associates has spent more than 35 years helping Rhode Island families and business owners plan, protect, and pass on what they have built, from its office on Broadway in Providence. Clients work directly with their attorney, and our attorneys are licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Florida.
No office visit is needed for most planning work:
Meet by phone or video, or in person in Providence
Review drafts and share documents through the secure client portal
Sign with the witnesses and notary Rhode Island requires, arranged by us
Common questions
Durable Powers of Attorney questions we hear first
What makes a power of attorney durable?
Language in the document stating that it remains effective despite your later incapacity. Without that language, the authority ends exactly when it is needed. We include it in every financial power we draft unless you instruct otherwise.
Should it take effect now or only if I am incapacitated?
An immediate power is simpler for institutions to accept and avoids the delay of obtaining a physician's certification. A springing power appeals to people uncomfortable granting authority now. Both are valid in Rhode Island; we help you weigh them.
Can my agent be held accountable?
Yes. An agent owes you a fiduciary duty, must act in your interest, and must keep records. The document can require accountings to a named person, and a court can remove an agent who abuses the role.
Does a durable power of attorney cover healthcare?
No. Healthcare decisions require a separate healthcare power of attorney and, ideally, a living will. We prepare them as a set so nothing is left uncovered.
Is a form from the internet good enough?
Generic forms are routinely refused by banks for missing Rhode Island formalities or expected language, and they rarely address real estate, business interests, or gifting properly. The cost of a refused document, at the moment it is needed, is a guardianship proceeding.
More ways we can help
Other services at Tarro Law
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Estate plans, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and estate disputes.
Personal Injury
Crashes, falls, medical negligence, and catastrophic or fatal injuries across Rhode Island.
Fractional General Counsel
A dedicated business attorney on a month-to-month plan, for a set monthly fee.
Other estate planning services in Rhode Island
Next step
Make the Call™
Tell us about your family and what you own. We will explain what a plan would include, what it costs, and how long it takes. Someone answers 24/7.
Main office
Providence, RI
425 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909
Serving
Every city and town in Rhode Island, and clients in Massachusetts and Florida.
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