Power of Attorney (POA)

A power of attorney (“POA”) is a document which grants decision-making authority to another person.

The person making the POA is called the “grantor.”

The person named in the POA to have decision-making authority over the grantor is called the “attorney.” In this context, an attorney is not a lawyer ─ he or she is simply the person named in the POA to make decisions.

Unlike a Will, which takes effect after one dies, a POA takes effect during one’s lifetime.

Because the word “attorney” can cause confusion, many people use the acronym “POA” to refer to the person given the decision-making authority. For example, they’ll say things like “My spouse is my POA.” While not technically accurate, because technically the POA is the document, it is quite common and well-understood that POA also refers to the person named in the document to make decisions.

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