Free Power of Attorney (POA) Forms
Start your Power of Attorney (POA) form now to appoint an agent to act on your behalf on financial or medical issues.
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What is a Power of Attorney
A Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal form that allows you (known as the Principal) to appoint another person, known as the Agent or Attorney-in-Fact, to make decisions on your behalf.
There are also Durable Power of Attorneys to appoint a person to control your finances.
Medical Powers of Attorney, and Advanced Health Care Directives allow you to name a trusted person to oversee your medical care and make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to do so.
When to Use a Power of Attorney
Power of Attorneys can be used when you need to flexibly delegate financial responsibilities to another person in your absence or incapacity.
Some of these financial responsibilities include:
Signing contracts
Buying and selling stocks and bonds
Managing your real estate investments
Collecting pensions from the government or military
Managing commercial transactions
Making financial gifts to family members and employees
Alternatively, POAs can be used to create contingencies for when you reach advanced age or become incapacitated.
Power of Attorney Document Sample
The generic example below shows what a completed Power of Attorney form normally looks like. This document can’t be used across all states and in all circumstances, however using LawDistrict’s template creation tools, you can build a form that is specific to your necessities.

Power of Attorney Forms by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Types of Power of Attorney
There are many types of Power of Attorney that an individual can take out. This depends on what you, as the principal, wish to delegate to your appointed agent.
In all cases, Power of Attorney forms allow individuals to carefully plan for their future healthcare or financial needs. They enable the principal to have peace of mind that all their affairs will be managed responsibly if they are unable to give their agreement in person.
Fortunately, In the United States, it is a simple process to sign a POA and assign an agent thanks to the Uniform Power of Attorney Act.
The most common POAs are listed below.
Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney
A Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney, permits your appointed agent to make legal and business decisions for you if you become disabled, incapacitated, or unable to handle these matters on your own.
Some of these decisions include:
Handling bank accounts
Settling claims
Managing assets
Filing taxes
Purchasing life insurance
Making gifts
Managing real estate holdings
Buying and selling stocks and bonds
Signing contracts
While “nondurable” powers of attorneys are automatically terminated if the individual who made them loses mental capacity. A Durable Power of Attorney remains effective until revocation of Power of Attorney is carried out or the principal dies.
This is why the process of conservatorship is so important. You need to make sure you select the correct agent.
Medical Power of Attorney
Medical POAs allow your agent to make healthcare decisions for you if you are incapacitated or unconscious.
The agent you choose can then carry out decisions that have to do with surgery or end-of-life care.
This allows your wishes regarding your treatment to be respected even if you cannot give your consent due to an accident, injury, or illness.
The person you name to take care of these decisions on your behalf is known as your healthcare agent or proxy.
Child Power of Attorney
A POA form exists for minors as well, and it is used in the event a parent or parents must grant temporary parental authority to another individual.
This usually takes place when a minor’s parent(s) or legal guardian cannot look after their child for whatever reason.
A Child Power of Attorney is a less permanent form of a guardianship as it is typically only given for a period of 6 to 12 months.
If an agent is given this authority they can make health care or educational decisions for the minor. They can also accompany the child or children on any international trips.
Springing Power of Attorney
A Springing Power of Attorney gives an agent the power to make financial or medical decisions on your behalf, such as those entrusted by durable and general POAs. However, a Springing POA only comes into effect when certain conditions are met.
Although this type of document can entrust the same responsibilities given by other POAs, it is conditional, and it remains inactive until the principal becomes incapacitated.
Special Power of Attorney
A Special Power of Attorney allows you to appoint an individual to manage a one-off transaction or financial action. With a Special POA, your attorney-in-fact will only be able to only manage specific affairs for you for a limited duration.

Uniform Power of Attorney Act
Each state has their own laws regarding the creation of POA documents. To make it easier for anyone who may move to another location, certain states have adopted and enacted the Uniform Power of Attorney Act (UPOAA).
The UPOAA definition of Power of Attorney (UPOAA Section 102 (page 7)) states that a POA is created whenever decision-making authority is granted to another individual:
“Power of attorney” means a writing or other record that grants authority to an agent to act in the place of the principal, whether or not the term power of attorney is used.
If you created a POA in a state that follows this definition and has enacted the UPOAA certain key elements will be standardized in your document such as:
Who is considered to be a valid agent
Which powers can be given to an agent
How a POA relationship can be ended
This ensures that parts of your POA will not be upheld.
How to Write a Power of Attorney Form
Creating a Power of Attorney is a fairly simple process if all parties are in agreement and of sound mind. In many cases, it’s as easy as creating a form and having it signed and notarized (depending on your state’s laws).
When writing a POA, simply follow these steps:
Choose an Agent
Decide who will be your agent(s). This should be someone you trust and who you can confidently grant this authority to manage your finances or affairs.
You can choose more than one agent if you wish.

Designate a Successor Agent
Stipulate if you are appointing any successor agents. These individuals will be able to take over if one or more agents cannot serve for any reason.
You should also assign a second successor agent in case both of your primary choices cannot act as your agent.

Grant Authority and Limitations
You can choose to grant your agents control over all your affairs or pick and choose the subjects you want them to have control over.
You may also select any specific acts you would like or not like your agent to have control over such as creating a beneficiary designation.

Specify the effective date
Specify when these powers will begin and end in the future: Normally, Power of Attorney starts as soon as you sign the document, but you can also specify a future date or triggering event for when your Agent can act for you if you wish.

Signing requirements
Both you and the agent(s) should sign the document. The signing of the document may need to be officially witnessed, or you may need to visit a notary public or state official before signing to ensure the final document is valid.
These requirements vary from state-to-state.

Notarize the document
Notarize the signing by visiting a notary public in the state where your document is to take effect. Be aware, not every state requires you to perform this step.
However, by going to a notary public you can add legitimacy to your document even in states that do not require it.
Store the document
Keep the document somewhere safe for further use. Your agent will need to present the completed and signed form whenever they perform one of their appointed duties. When completed, signed, and notarized, the Agent will then be able to approve transactions, sell a property and handle your assets in your place.
In order to do so, they will need to present the approved form when signing a contract on your behalf and must name both you, the Principal, and themselves as Attorney-in-Fact on the form.
Other Estate Planning Documents
There are similar legal documents that can further help you choose someone to make decisions regarding your property, health, and finances on your behalf.
These related documents can give you more control when it comes to ensuring that your financial and medical wishes are respected.
These documents include:
Revise these legal forms to give yourself further control of your finances, property, and health.
Power of Attorney FAQs
If you’re still uncertain if a Power of Attorney template is right for you, have a read through our FAQs to find out more.
The points below better explain the options available and how the process of getting a POA approved works.
Does a Power of Attorney Have to Be Notarized?
You may need to notarize your Power of Attorney, depending on the state that it will be signed and used in.
Certain states require two witnesses and notarization, or the option of two witnesses or notarization to be considered legally valid.
Even if your state doesn’t require you to have your Power of Attorney notarized, you will strengthen the validity of your document by doing so.
Always review your state’s signing requirements beforehand.
How to Sign as Power of Attorney?
Signing a Power of Attorney is essential to ensure that the document is considered legally valid.
Once the principal has named you as agent and signed the document, you must add your signature as well.
Once you are ready, sign the document in this manner:
[Name of Principal], by [Name of Agent], Attorney-in-fact
[Agent Signature Sample]
Who Can Override a Power of Attorney?
There are a few ways to override a Power of Attorney. First of all, you can simply revoke it, as the principal retains the right to remove the powers at any time.
If, on the other hand, you wish to revoke the Power of Attorney of an already incapacitated family member, you will have to write to the agent to ask them to formally step down as POA.
If they refuse, you may then need to take the matter to court and appoint guardianship before the powers of the agent become inactive.
When Does Power of Attorney End?
A Power of Attorney always ends when the principal dies or revokes the document. However, depending on the POA you choose to activate, other factors can end the use of this legal instrument.
You can stipulate in any POA a future date or incident that ends the validity of the document.
Additionally, if you have a General Power of Attorney, it cannot be used if you become disabled or incapacitated. In order to extend the validity of your agent’s powers beyond your future disability or mental incompetence, you will need a Durable POA.
Where Can I Get a Power of Attorney Form?
The Power of Attorney form is a legal document that can be acquired either online, from your bank or healthcare provider, or from an Attorney-at-Law, although this option can incur costs.
LawDistrict allows you to create a Power of Attorney online for free and for a variety of purposes. All you need to do is answer a few questions to design a bespoke POA that can respond to your specific needs.
The type of Power of Attorney form you choose and where you get it ultimately depends on what your necessities are and how and why you wish to appoint a Power of Attorney.

You are only a few steps away from your own Power of Attorney!