Trusted Power of Attorney Solicitors in Sydney
As experienced power of attorney solicitors in Sydney, we regularly assist clients in preparing powers of attorney as an important part of their estate planning or when making a will.
A power of attorney is a legal document that gives a trusted person—the attorney—the authority to act on your behalf in relation to your legal and financial affairs. Our Sydney power of attorney solicitors can help ensure this document is tailored to your specific needs and circumstances.
Types of Powers of Attorney
General Power of Attorney
A general power of attorney is only valid while you have legal capacity. You can use it to:
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Appoint someone to assist with day-to-day matters like running errands and paying bills
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Help manage finances and property
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Allow someone to act on your behalf while you’re travelling
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Appoint someone to temporarily step in during illness or recovery
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Assign a specific task such as completing a property transaction
This type of authority can be time-limited and restricted to certain responsibilities, giving you flexibility and control.
Enduring Power of Attorney
An enduring power of attorney remains valid if you lose legal capacity due to illness or disability. It enables your appointed attorney to continue managing your financial and legal affairs even when you are no longer able to give instructions.
As a safeguard, you can specify that the enduring power of attorney only becomes effective once you are assessed as having lost capacity.
Our power of attorney solicitors in Sydney can guide you through the differences and help you decide which arrangement is best for your needs.
Choosing the Right Person as Your Power of Attorney
Although the law requires your attorney to act in your best interests, it is important that you choose somebody with care. Your attorney not only needs to be completely trustworthy, but you should feel confident that they will be capable of fulfilling the role. Your choice may depend on the complexity of your affairs and the things your attorney will likely need to deal with.
You may appoint more than one attorney or a substitute attorney if the appointed attorney cannot act or continue to act in their role. If you appoint more than one attorney, you will need to decide whether they must act jointly or severally.
Your attorney should:
- have integrity
- be willing to act in that capacity
- have skills or competence in relevant areas
- be able to spare the time necessary for the task
- live in the locality in which they are to act
- be impartial and have no known conflict of interest
How Our Sydney Power of Attorney Solicitors Can Help You
Preparing a power of attorney can provide you with the assurance that somebody you trust can step in to manage your affairs while you are unable to or, in the case of an enduring power of attorney, if you become incapacitated. These arrangements should be tailored to your needs, and we can work with you to explain their effect and prepare the documents that best suit your circumstances.
If you need assistance, contact in**@******om.au or call 02 7256 7050.
