Powers of Attorney

A power of attorney is a document in which a person (the "grantor") appoints another person (the "attorney") to act on his or her behalf in connection with his or her personal or financial affairs.

A power of attorney may be general, covering all of the grantor's personal affairs, or specific, limiting the attorney's authority to a specific purpose, such as the sale of property on the grantor's behalf.

This section provides general information on who can act as an attorney and the duties of an attorney.

An enduring power of attorney (EPA) is a power of attorney that states that it is to continue in effect even if the grantor becomes incapacitated.

There are two types of EPAs:

• the first type takes effect immediately; and
• the second type comes into effect on a specified future date or on the occurrence of a specified event (e.g., when the grantor becomes mentally incapable, or when the grantor leaves the country for an extended period). This is a contingent power of attorney (sometimes called a "springing" power of attorney).

This section provides useful information for those who have been appointed an attorney under an enduring power of attorney, for those who are considering agreeing to be the attorney of a relative or friend, or for those who may be working with an attorney and want to know what to expect in his or her dealings with the attorney.