General Power of Attorney (PoA)

75 Reviews
Select support levelCompare
Recommended

Document overview

This document is used to delegate authority to someone else to act for you, usually for a short and specified period of time.

You may be abroad but need someone to look after your financial and legal affairs at home for you (such as buying or selling property), or you may need someone to help with a specific task (such as collecting a pension) or you may just prefer someone more expert in a certain subject area (such as law) to act on your behalf in a certain matter.

Compliant
Compliant with the latest law in
  • England & Wales
Document propertied
Document properties
  • Length:2 pages (390 words)
  • Available in:
    MsWordMicrosoft Word DOCXApple pagesApple PagesRTFRTF
watertight guarantee
Backed by our watertight guarantee

If the document isn’t right for your circumstances for any reason, just tell us and we’ll refund you in full immediately.

writing in plain english
Written in plain English

We avoid legal terminology unless necessary. Plain English makes our documents easy to understand, easy to edit and more likely to be accepted.

Notes
Guidance notes included

You don’t need legal knowledge to use our documents. We explain what to edit and how in the guidance notes included at the end of the document.

email
Support from our legal team

Email us with questions about editing your document. Use our Lawyer Assist service if you’d like our legal team to check your document will do as you intend.

Update
Up to date with the latest law

Our documents comply with the latest relevant law. Our lawyers regularly review how new law affects each document in our library.

About this document

This type of document (abbreviated to PoA) allows you to give temporary authority to someone else to make decisions and act as if he or she were you.

It is intended to be used while you have mental capacity (and could carry out the action yourself), except that location or time may prevent you from acting.

As the giver you are the “donor” of the power and the receiver becomes your “attorney”. The actions that your attorney may take for you can be as general or specific as you like and may relate to one part or all of your affairs.

The document specifies both the powers that you grant and the time period during which the attorney has those powers. After the time has elapsed, the attorney;s powers end.

One of the features of a PoA is that it created for a defined period of time. It is not indefinite. It becomes effective as soon as it is signed (or otherwise if you specify in the document). You could draft it now for use later.

If you need to cancel it (called revoking in legal jargon) before the expiry date in the document, you can use a document called a deed of revocation to do so. It will automatically be revoked if the donor loses mental capacity.

You could also make a lasting PoA, which takes effect when you lose mental capacity. We provide a service that completes the forms. You can also read more about the types.

When to use this document

You can grant powers if you are over 18 years of age and have mental capacity. The attorney must also be over 18 years old and not be an undischarged or interim bankrupt.

You can only grant power to do things that you already have the right and capacity to do yourself. You can’t use it to allow the attorney to make decisions about your welfare.

Often, this type of document is used when

  • you are abroad but need someone to manage your financial and legal affairs at home (such as buying or selling property)

  • you want to allow someone to perform a specific task on a regular basis (such paying your bills in your name from your bank account each month or collecting a pension)

  • you want to allow someone with greater knowledge of a subject to act for you (e.g. an estate agent to negotiate buying a house)

You do not have to register this document with anyone or any organisation.

The attorney must be notified to make a revocation effective.

We have a version of this document tailored for when you wish for someone else to have power to sell your property.

Template features and contents

  • Flexible to suit all situations, business or personal
  • Can be used by anyone over 18 years old
  • Reference to the Powers of Attorney Act 1971
Sample general power of attorney (poa)Sample page from the general power of attorney
Click to View Sample

CallTalk to us about this document

We are happy to answer any questions you have. Arrange for us to call you.

Recent reviews

Great Service
15 February 2024
Excellent service and easy to find the document I needed.
Angela Dignam
Review of the Australian version
Great Service
02 August 2023
The few documents that I have already chosen to download thus far, are clean, precise an thorough with very good notes . No complaints so far.
Brannan Tempest
Great Service
07 July 2023
A very good service thankyou. No complaints or suggestions for improvement
Peter Horsley
Review of the New Zealand version
Read all 75 reviews

Choose the level of support you need

Document Only

Complete the document template yourself using our guidance notes
£7.20
(incl VAT)
  • ok This document
  • okDetailed guidance notes explaining how to edit each paragraph
Recommended

Lawyer Assist

Support from our legal team during and after editing
193 Reviews
£127.20
(incl VAT)
  • ok This document
  • okDetailed guidance notes explaining how to edit each paragraph
  • okUnlimited email support - ask our legal team any question related to completing the document
  • ok
    Review of your edited document by our legal team including:
    • reporting on whether your changes comply with the law
    • answering your questions about how to word a new clause or achieve an outcome
    • checking that your use of defined terms is correct and consistent
    • correcting spelling mistakes
    • reformatting the document ready to sign

Bespoke

Drafted for you, to your precise requirements
from
£400.00
(incl VAT)
  • okA document drawn just for you to your exact requirements
  • okPersonalised service provided by an experienced solicitor
  • okFree discussion before we provide an estimate, for you to ask questions and for us to understand your requirements
  • okTransparent fees - a fixed fee for the basic work, a fixed hourly rate for new or changed instructions, and no charge for office overheads or third party disbursements
  • okCareful and thorough consideration of your circumstances and your consequent likely practical and legal requirements
  • okProvision of options that you may not have considered with availability for discussion
  • okHelp and advice woven into the fabric of our service so that you can make the best decisions
© 2000 - 2024 Net Lawman Limited.
All rights reserved