Sec. 12. (a) Language conferring general authority with respect to family maintenance means the principal authorizes the attorney in fact to do the following:

(1) Perform acts necessary for maintaining the customary standard of living of the spouse, children, and other persons customarily supported by the principal, including the power to provide the following:

(A) Living quarters by purchase, lease, or other contract, or by payment of operating costs, including interest, amortization payments, repairs, and taxes on premises owned by the principal and occupied by the principal's family or dependents.

(B) Normal domestic help for the operation of the household.

(C) Usual vacation and travel expenses.

(D) Usual educational facilities.

(E) Funds for all the current living costs of the spouse, children, and other dependents, including shelter, clothing, food, and incidentals.

(2) Pay for necessary medical, dental, and surgical care, hospitalization and custodial care for the spouse, children, and other dependents of the principal.

(3) Continue provisions made by the principal before or after the execution of the power of attorney for the principal's spouse, children, and other persons customarily supported by the principal with respect to automobiles or other means of transportation, including the power to license, insure, and replace automobiles owned by the principal and customarily used by the spouse, children, or other persons customarily supported by the principal.

(4) Continue charge accounts that have been operated by the principal before or after the execution of the power of attorney for the convenience of the principal's spouse, children, or other persons customarily supported by the principal, open new accounts the attorney in fact considers desirable to accomplish a purpose permitted under this section and pay the items charged on those accounts by a person authorized or permitted by the principal to make charges prior to the execution of the power of attorney.

(5) Continue payments incidental to membership or affiliation of the principal in a church, a club, a society, an order, or other organization and continue contributions to those organizations.

(6) Demand, receive, or obtain by action or proceeding money or other things of value to which the principal is or may become entitled as salary, wages, commission, or other remuneration for services performed, as a dividend or distribution on a stock, as interest or principal on an indebtedness, or as a periodic distribution of profits for a partnership or business in which the principal has or claims an interest and endorse, collect, or otherwise realize upon an instrument for the payment received.

(7) Use an asset of the principal for the performance of a power permitted under this section, including the power to draw money by check or otherwise from a bank deposit of the principal, sell an interest in real property, a bond, a share, a commodity interest, tangible personal property, or other asset of the principal, borrow money and pledge as security for a loan an asset, including insurance, that belongs to the principal.

(8) Execute, acknowledge, verify, seal, file, and deliver an application, a consent, a petition, a notice, a release, a waiver, an agreement, or other instrument that the attorney in fact considers useful to accomplish a purpose permitted under this section.

(9) Hire, discharge, and compensate an attorney, accountant, expert witness, or other assistant when the attorney in fact considers the action to be desirable for the proper execution by the attorney in fact of a power described in this section and keep needed records.

(10) Perform any other acts for the welfare of the spouse, children, or other persons customarily supported by the principal or for the preservation and maintenance of other personal relationships of the principal to parents, relatives, friends, and organizations as are appropriate.

(b) The powers described in this section are exercisable equally whether the acts required for their execution relate to real or personal property owned by the principal at the time of the giving of the power of attorney or acquired after that time, whether located in Indiana or in another jurisdiction.

As added by P.L.149-1991, SEC.2.