Virginia Essential Legal Life Documents for Military Personnel

VA makes financial planning and online will preparation services available at no cost to beneficiaries of: SGLI (Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance)FSGLI (Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance) VGLI (Veterans' Group Life Insurance)

A Military Power of Attorney (or "Military POA") is written and signed by a service member who wants to grant certain authorities to someone such as a friend or family member to handle legal or financial matters in his or her absence.

There is no charge for services provided by military legal assistance offices. All services provided by a military legal assistance lawyer are free to eligible personnel. If your legal problem involves costs or fees (for example, a filing fee to file a case with the court), you will probably have to pay these charges.

In its legal application, a military power of attorney doesn't differ from a POA that a civilian would execute, except that the signature of the principal, or person executing the document, must be notarized by either a military lawyer known as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) or another person authorized by the

In many states, notarization is required by law to make the durable power of attorney valid. But even where law doesn't require it, custom usually does. A durable power of attorney that isn't notarized may not be accepted by people with whom your attorney-in-fact tries to deal.

JAG personnel have copies of all power of attorney forms for use by deployed members. Request that someone back home go to the nearest JAG office and get copies of the power of attorney forms if you can't get them locally. Your home contact can mail the forms to you while you're deployed.

A power of attorney (or POA) is a legal document that grants a person or organization the legal authority to act on another's behalf and make certain decisions for them.A power of attorney needs to be signed in front of a licensed notary public in order to be legally binding.

Most good firms require between $4,000 and $10,000 as an initial fee. A serious trial can cost more than $25,000 in legal services. Even a special court-martial or administrative hearing can cost more than $10,000.

So unless you put it in a safety deposit box or on file with the state registrar of wills, it is probably gone forever.