Power of Attorney (POA) form is a legal document that is prepared when it comes to appoint someone to act on your behalf i.e. manage the medical and financial affairs if you cannot do so. If you are in a situation or circumstances where you have to designate another person to act on your behalf then you need a power of attorney letter.
Two words are commonly used whenever we talk about power of attorney letters i.e. Principal and Agent. Here “Principal” is a person who is appointing someone to act on his or her behalf on financial or legal matters and “Agent” is a trusted person who is appointed to act on “Principal” behalf.
There are many instances where it becomes essential to employ power of attorney specially when the Principal is having short or long term illness or disability, and could not able to sign the appropriate documents. The responsibilities or power of the “Agent” is as mentioned in a power of attorney letter. It is the responsibility of the “Agent” to carry out the defined tasks efficiently.
Power of Attorney Letter Sample
What is a power of attorney letter?
A power of attorney is an official document that is used to bestows the power to make decisions and act on behalf of another person in accordance with the terms written in the letter. The person who is granting the power is termed as “Principal” and the person granted such a power is the “Agent.”
The job of the agent may include signing documents, signing checks, property dealing, and more. The “Agent” can do all the activities that are written in the power of attorney letter.
What do I write in a letter of power of attorney?
Below you can see some of the information that is included in a power of attorney letter. It is important to note the format of this letter may vary from one state to another. But the general letter has the following information:
- name, address, and signature of the principal.
- name, address, and signature of Agent.
- responsibilities, activities, and properties under the Agent’s authority.
- the start and termination dates of the Agent’s powers.
- name, address, and signature of the person who witnesses the signing.
Sample Power of Attorney PDF Template
Type of Power of Attorney
Different Type of Power of Attorney is out there. Some of the type of Power of Attorney letters are shared below. It’s essential to determine the type of power of attorney before start to write a letter.
General Power of Attorney: This type of attorney gives agent broad powers to act on behalf of the principal when it comes to the legal and financial matters. There is a specific time period for this type of attorney.
Limited Power of Attorney: As the name specifies, the agent get specific powers to act behalf of the principal in certain situations, such as selling a property or managing a business.
Durable Power of Attorney: This type of attorney comes into use when the principal is unable to make decisions for themselves.
Medical Power of Attorney: Under this attorney, the agent has the authority to make medical decisions on behalf of the principal.
How to obtain a power of attorney letter?
If you are looking to obtain a power of attorney letter then read out the steps below to get familiar with the process.
Understand what you need
Different type of power of attorney forms are available these days. Firstly you need to figure out the form you need depending on your requirement.
Choose your agent
Next step is to choose your agent i.e. a person who will make decisions on your behalf. This person has to be the most trustable and accountable. Finding a trustable agent could be the task sometimes, proceed to the next step once you have your agent finalized.
Create the letter
Now is the time to create your letter. Please note that the POA may vary from state to state. Get a power of attorney letter as per your state, fill it out, make sure your Agent is available at the time when you fill up the form because you have to enter your information and your Agent information in the letter.
Sign the letter and execute it
Notary Public should be there to witness the signatures on the power of attorney form. Make sure to check out state’s Signing Laws.
Store the letter
Make sure to keep the letter in a safe place because you may require it in the future. Both principal and agent must have a certified copy of the letter.
Now you have plenty of power of attorney letter templates to choose from. You can choose to download and print any of the letter from here. For our users, all the letter templates are shared for free download only. Keep checking this site for more useful letters and templates.