General Power of Attorney

A General (or ordinary) Power of Attorney lets your attorney handle financial and legal matters for a defined purpose or period, but it ceases the instant you lose mental capacity. That makes it useful for convenience but useless for incapacity planning. For ongoing protection if you become unwell, you need an Enduring Power of Attorney instead. People often confuse the two, which can leave families exposed when it matters most.

A General Power of Attorney is typically used for short-term, specific situations such as a property settlement, a business transaction or a period overseas. Example: While posted abroad for six months, Priya gave her brother a General Power of Attorney so he could sign the contract to sell her apartment. Because it does not survive incapacity, it is rarely the right document for an ageing parent — an Enduring Power of Attorney almost always is.