Powers of Attorney Program

A Power of Attorney is the legal authority contained in a written document that allows someone else to manage your legal and financial affairs.

Planning for Your Future

Information on preparing your Power of Attorney can be found in the publication A Legal Information Guide for Seniors. This guide contains a great deal of information that can be valuable to any adult, and not just seniors. The topics of Health Care Directives and Wills, and how these documents work in conjuction with your Power of Attorney, are also covered in this guide. A copy can be requested from the office, or you can download it here (pdf - 72 pages, 200 kb).

Assisting Others

Information on acting as an attorney for someone else can be found in the publication Enduring Power of Attorney Guidebook. This guide outlines the responsibilites of acting as an attorney and includes a sample Power of Attorney document, as well as an example of a proper inventory and accounting kept by an attorney. A copy can be requested from the office, or you can download it here (pdf - 28 pages, 321 kb).

Services of The Public Trustee

The Public Trustee will agree to be named as attorney in a Power of Attorney, as long as:

• The client is mentally competent, and wants The Public Trustee to act.
• The client's assets are worth less than $250,000 or, for clients with assets worth more than that, the client has contacted a trust company and it is not willing to act.
• The client has reviewed The Public Trustee's fee brochure and agrees to the fees to be charged.
• The Power of Attorney includes an enduring clause that will allow the power to continue if the client becomes incompetent. If that happens, The Public Trustee will initiate proceedings for an Order of Committeeship.

More information on the services of The Public Trustee as your Power of Attorney can be found here.

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