General Power of Attorney

Need someone to manage your affairs?
This “Download Now” General Power of Attorney form allows a relative or friend to legally deal with your affairs for specific periods or events.

General Powers of Attorney are simple to create with Lawpack and this general power of attorney form can help you save on solicitor's fees. 

Available as a "Download Now" PDF template document, this legal form has been solicitor-approved so you can be assured that it’s legally binding and up to date.

Plus this download comes with expert guidance notes showing clearly how to complete the form, so you can be confident that you have filled it in correctly.

What is a General Power of Attorney?

There may be specific events or periods of time when many of us find we need to give control of financial and legal matters to others.

As more and more of us work abroad, for example, we find we need to give others the power to act on our behalf in certain matters.

A General Power of Attorney form is a legal document that allows this to be done. It could, for example, allow someone to sign cheques and letters for you if you were going abroad for a while.

This download comes in two versions:

1. A General Power of Attorney template, for use in England & Wales        
2. A General Power of Attorney template, for use in Scotland

When can a General Power of Attorney form be used?

England & Wales

In England & Wales, it applies only to your property and affairs. You cannot use it to authorise someone to make decisions about your personal welfare.

This download does not allow you to grant authority to someone to perform in your role as a trustee or executor (i.e. administrator) of someone's estate.

Plus the form ceases to take effect if you become incapable of making decisions conferred in the General Power of Attorney.

If you want to make a power of attorney that remains valid if you become mentally incapable, then you should make a Lasting Power of Attorney.

There is no requirement for the General Power of Attorney form to be registered.

For the form to be valid, the 'Donor' (the person granting the Power) and the 'Attorney' (the person being granted the authority) must be over 18, have capacity to grant the general power of attorney and not be an undischarged or interim bankrupt.

Scotland

A General Power of Attorney is automatically terminated in the event of the 'Granter' (the person granting the Power) becoming mentally incapable.

If you want to make a power of attorney that remains valid if you become mentally incapable, this form is not suitable and you should consider using a Continuing Power of Attorney instead. A Continuing Power of Attorney form is included as part of our Power of Attorney Kit.

This download does not allow you to grant authority to someone to perform in your role as a trustee or executor (i.e. administrator) of someone's estate.

For the form to be valid, the 'Granter' and the 'Attorney' (the person being granted the authority) must be over 18, have capacity to grant the general power of attorney and not be an undischarged bankrupt.

Make sure it's clear who you trust to handle your affairs with Lawpack's simple-to-complete General Power of Attorney form.

Other information

• How to use a General Power
• How to draw up a General Power

External information

• Wikipedia