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Ending a Power of Attorney

You can end a power of attorney at any time as long as you still have the capacity to make this type of decision. There are also some other circumstances that will end a power of attorney.

Ending a Non-Enduring Power of Attorney

Be cautious when ending a power of attorney. A non-enduring power of attorney is a contract. Breaching a contract can lead to a lawsuit if there is a loss of some kind.

If you have a non-enduring power of attorney (POA), it ends when:

  • you or your attorney give notice to end the POA
  • you die or lose capacity
  • your attorney dies or loses capacity
  • the purpose of the POA is completed such as a real estate transaction
  • the purpose of the POA is impossible to complete for whatever reason
  • the POA has a date for it to end and that day arrives

Non-enduring POAs are judge-made law. This means that there is little to no legislation governing them. As such, there may be other factors that play into ending one. It may be a good idea to consult a lawyer if you are unsure.

If your attorney resigns, they should return the POA document to you. You should make sure that places where the power of attorney has been used, such as banks, know that it is has been cancelled.

Ending an Enduring Power of Attorney

Any interested party can apply to court to have a power of attorney ended if they think that an attorney has abused their authority.

If you have an enduring POA, it ends when:

  • you give notice in writing to end the POA while you have capacity
  • your attorney gives notice in writing to end the POA
  • you die
  • your attorney dies or loses capacity
  • the POA has a date for it to end and that day arrives
  • you appointed your spouse as attorney and you stop living with them because you have decided to end the relationship
  • your attorney becomes bankrupt
  • your attorney is convicted of one of certain criminal offences unless you consent to them acting despite this
  • your attorney starts providing personal or health care services to you
  • the court appoints someone else as attorney or ends the POA

If you lack capacity and your attorney resigns, they can give the written notice to another attorney instead of to you. If there are no other attorneys, your most immediate and available family member will be given the written resignation.

FAQs - Ending a Power of Attorney

Depending on the situation, certain steps must be taken to end a power of attorney. In other situations, the law states when a power of attorney will end.

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