Imagine this: Your 19-year-old is in a car accident and rushed to the hospital. You get the call and panic sets in. Naturally, you want to speak to the doctors, understand your child’s condition, and help make decisions. But you can’t. Even if you’re paying their insurance premiums, covering their tuition, or helping with bills, none of that gives you legal access to their medical records or the authority to act on their behalf.

When a child turns 18, something significant changes. They are legally considered an adult, and that shift carries real consequences for families, especially in emergency situations.

That is why the Young Adult Plan exists.

A Quick But Critical Transformation

Turning 18 is more than a birthday milestone. It’s a legal line in the sand. For many parents, the shift in rights and access happens overnight.

Charles Thomas, III, CFP, founder of Intrepid Eagle Finance, had his oldest daughter turn 18 on the same day she graduated from high school, which sent him through this process. For Domenick D’Andrea, co-founder of DanDarah Wealth Management, the day that his oldest son turned 18 within the last month was the same day that D’Andrea and his wife lost electronic access to his medical records. This is something that his son can petition to give back to his parents if that’s what he desires.

It’s important that when this transition is happening within a family that they get ahead of it. 

Garrett Harper, founder of Harper Financial Strategies, has a son who is about to turn 19; he and his family are in the process of doing some level of estate planning. 

“For our situation, I explained to him the importance of having a power of attorney that can handle financial affairs if he is not able to do so as well as medical powers,” Harper said. “In his situation, we have already been ‘shut out’ of being able to help him with things as simple as talking to his doctor about annual checkups because he is 18 and no longer able to have shared medical access with parents without written consent.  We are in the process of drafting his documents right now, and it is something that I alert every one of my clients about when their children turn 18.”

This Isn’t Just About Healthcare

In the vein of trying to anticipate every possible scenario and ripple effect as parents do, there may even be non-healthcare related reasons to discuss power of attorney with an adult child (or about-to-be-an-adult child).

Thomas worked with a family recently whose 19-year-old son went on a mission trip abroad. While he was in a difficult-to-reach location, the family had to settle a family member’s estate in short order. 

“In the midst of trying to navigate a signature across two continents, we remember then that both Mom and Dad have a power of attorney to help on occasions just like this,” he said. “They were able to help their son and resolve the issue much easier with a power of attorney” than they would have alternatively. 

Plan Ahead For Peace Of Mind

While it can be a logical thought process to think that a parent is in charge of their adult child’s well-being as the financial chord in many ways isn’t severed, in many important ways it technically is. Which is why it’s vital for everyone to plan ahead so they can respond to emergency situations of all kinds quickly and appropriately.

Whether your child is heading to college, taking a gap year, or exploring the world, make sure they are legally prepared. It’s a simple step that can make a big difference in the moments that matter most.

What the Young Adult Plan Includes

At Trust & Will, the Young Adult Plan includes the essential legal documents every new adult should have:

• A Healthcare Power of Attorney

• A HIPAA Authorization

• A Durable Power of Attorney

These tools allow parents or trusted individuals to help when it matters most.

Learn more about how the Young Adult Plan works and how to set it up today.

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Trust & Will is an online service providing legal forms and information. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice.