August 14, 2026
LANSING – In the year since free, fillable Power of Attorney forms became available for download on the Elder Abuse Task Force’s webpage, Michigan Attorney General is celebrating more than 24,000 downloads. The forms were prepared by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at Cooley Law School to make it easier for Michigan residents and their family members to appoint a trusted individual to make important financial and medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so.
“Power of attorney laws put crucial protections in place, but those safeguards only work if POA forms are accessible to those who need them,” said Attorney General Nessel. “It is great to see tens of thousands of downloads of these forms after the first year, and I hope this form is useful for our Michigan families for many years to come.”
“The Kimble Center is so gratified to see these remarkable numbers,” said Cooley Law School Professor Emeritus Joseph Kimble. “We went to great lengths to make sure that these forms are legally accurate and at the same time very easy to fill out. Users will see that at a glance. We are grateful to the Attorney General for helping us make these forms available to so many Michigan residents. What a terrific public service.”
In 2024, the Elder Abuse Task Force successfully advocated for legislation that updated Michigan’s Power of Attorney statute under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act. Attorney General Nessel released a public service announcement later that year explaining the law. While the law includes a statutory form, it is not downloadable or fillable. The forms on the Department of Attorney General’s website are fully compliant with the statute.
The available forms include:
- Finances Power of Attorney (PDF): This form lets users decide who makes financial decisions for them if they can’t make them for themselves.
- Medical Power of Attorney (PDF): This form lets users decide who makes health-care decisions for them if they can’t make them for themselves.
Since August 2025, the Finances Power of Attorney form has been downloaded 13,284 times, and the Medical Power of Attorney form has been downloaded 10,951 times from the Department’s website.
Michigan’s Power of Attorney statute is one of the major accomplishments of the Elder Abuse Task Force. Michigan's Elder Abuse Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors – all working together to combat elder abuse. The more than 100 individuals on the Task Force are divided into seven committees working diligently to accomplish nine initiatives (PDF), including requiring certification and training for professional guardians.
Another achievement includes the adoption of a Vulnerable Adult Incident Report form for investigations by law enforcement across the state, including the implementation of related trainings. The Task Force has trained hundreds of police officers, prosecutors and Adult Protective Services workers. The training videos have been viewed thousands of times. In addition to the vulnerable adult incident report and associated trainings, the Financial Exploitation Prevention Act was passed that ensures mandated reporting for financial institutions on suspected fraud or exploitation. Financial advisors and securities brokers were also added as mandatory reporters in a separate law.
More than 100,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse. They experience abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Michigan residents seeking elder abuse resources are encouraged to call 800-24-ABUSE (22873), or 855-444-3911 to report suspected elder abuse.
The forms can be found on the Elder Abuse Task Force webpage.
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Source:
AG Nessel Celebrates More Than 24,000 Downloads of Fillable Power of Attorney Forms
