South Carolina § 62-5-502 Health care power of attorney is a durable power of attorney; applicability of part.

South Carolina Statutes

§ 62-5-502 — Health care power of attorney is a durable power of attorney; applicability of part.

South Carolina § 62-5-502

Title 62SOUTH CAROLINA PROBATE CODE

Ch.ARTICLE 5 - PROTECTION OF PERSONS UNDER DISABILITY AND THEIR PROPERTY

This text of South Carolina § 62-5-502 (Health care power of attorney is a durable power of attorney; applicability of part.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.C. Code Ann. § 62-5-502 (2026).

Text

(a)A health care power of attorney is a durable power of attorney. Statutory provisions that refer to a durable power of attorney or judicial interpretations of the law relating to durable powers of attorney apply to a health care power of attorney to the extent that they are not inconsistent with this part.

(b)This section does not affect the right of a person to execute a durable power of attorney relating to health care pursuant to other provisions of law but which does not conform to the requirements of this section. If a durable power of attorney for health care executed under this part or under the laws of another state does not conform to the requirements of this section, the provisions of this section do not apply to it. However, a court is not precluded from determining that the

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(a) A health care power of attorney is a durable power of attorney. Statutory provisions that refer to a durable power of attorney or judicial interpretations of the law relating to durable powers of attorney apply to a health care power of attorney to the extent that they are not inconsistent with this part. (b) This section does not affect the right of a person to execute a durable power of attorney relating to health care pursuant to other provisions of law but which does not conform to the requirements of this section. If a durable power of attorney for health care executed under this part or under the laws of another state does not conform to the requirements of this section, the provisions of this section do not apply to it. However, a court is not precluded from determining that the law applicable to nonconforming durable powers of attorney for health care is the same as the law set forth in this section for health care powers of attorney. (c) To the extent not inconsistent with this part, the provisions of the Adult Health Care Consent Act apply to the making of decisions by a health care agent and the implementation of those decisions by health care providers. (d) In determining the effectiveness of a health care power of attorney, mental incompetence is to be determined according to the standards and procedures for inability to consent pursuant to Section 44-66-20(8), except that certification of mental incompetence by the agent may be substituted for certification by a second physician. If the certifying physician states that the principal's mental incompetence precludes the principal from making all health care decisions or all decisions concerning certain categories of health care, and that the principal's mental incompetence is permanent or of extended duration, no further certification is necessary in regard to the stated categories of health care decisions during the stated duration of mental incompetence unless the agent or the attending physician believes the principal may have regained capacity.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 306, SECTION 1; 2005 Act No. 172, SECTION 1; 2006 Act No. 365, SECTION 1; 2008 Act No. 303, SECTIONS 2, 3, eff June 11, 2008; 2010 Act No. 244, SECTION 41, eff June 7, 2010; formerly 1976 Code SECTION 62-5-504; 2016 Act No. 279, SECTION 2, eff January 1, 2017.