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General Power of Attorney
- What is a General Power of Attorney?
- How do I make a General Power of Attorney?
- What responsibility does the Tribunal have in relation to General Powers of Attorney?
What is a General Power of Attorney?
A general power of attorney is given to someone to make financial decisions on your behalf when you are absent (e.g. if you are overseas and need someone else to sell your house, pay your bills etc).
It is a legal document and the decisions that your attorney makes for you have the same legal force as if you had made them yourself. A general power of attorney can only be used while you have decision-making capacity.
How do I make a General Power of Attorney?
It works like this:
- You sign a form giving power of attorney to someone of your choice
- You specify the types of decisions that the person you choose (your attorney) will make
- The document is witnessed by an eligible witness
- Your attorney can then act on your behalf if necessary
Further information is available by contacting the Office of the Adult Guardian on 1300 653 187.
What responsibility does the Tribunal have in relation to General Powers of Attorney?
The Tribunal has no jurisdiction over General Powers of Attorney.
Last updated 2/8/2008
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