The Pennsylvania Power of Attorney develops a material document designating a third party to receive rights to act, communicate, and/or sign in place of a principal individual. The form seeks to implement the passing of permissions, generally on a temporary basis, to allow the management of situations by another on behalf of the declarant. OA’s cover a wide range of areas to bestow controls for needs related to medical, personal property, real estate, taxes, and legal arrangements. The conveyed rights will allow the attorney-in-fact to handle decision-making and take action only as specified in the registered account. Clarification as to the extent of each assigned authority can be limited or broadened as desired by the principal to achieve the desired level of instituted agency.
Laws
Statutes – Pennsylvania Statutes Title 20, Chapter 56 – Powers of Attorney
Definition – “A durable power of attorney is a power of attorney by which a principal designates another his agent in writing. The authority conferred shall be exercisable notwithstanding the principal’s subsequent disability or incapacity. A principal may provide in the power of attorney that the power shall become effective at a specified future time or upon the occurrence of a specified contingency, including the disability or incapacity of the principal” (§ 5604(a)).
Signing Requirements – Pennsylvania Statutes stipulate that most POA documents be reviewed and certified by a licensed notary and two (2) viable witnesses. Variations of the medical (advance directive), tax, vehicle, and revocation contracts may have alternative endorsement demands as individually indicated below (§ 5601(b)).
Revocation – § 5605
By Type (9)
- Advance Directive (Medical POA & Living Will)
- Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney
- General (Financial) Power of Attorney
- Limited (Special) Power of Attorney
- Minor Child Power of Attorney
- Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney
- Real Estate Power of Attorney
- Revocation of Power of Attorney
- Tax Power of Attorney
Advance Directive (Medical POA & Living Will) – Officially registers information concerning a person’s desired medical treatment preferences. The written precautionary measure also identifies the elected individual to issued authority over health care decisions in cases where the principal sustains long-term unconsciousness.
Download: PDF
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement by two (2) witnesses must be received to verify.
Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney – Assigns an agent powers to handle financial dealings as denoted with a clause keeping the arrangement in effect should the principal become disabled or incompetent.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx)
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement requires a notary and two (2) acceptable witnesses to oversee the event of signing.
General (Financial) Power of Attorney – Formally devises an agreement to issue permissions to an individual to take over certain duties associated with the financial holdings of another.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx)
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement by notary and two (2) witnesses is needed.
Limited (Special) Power of Attorney – Enacts distributed privileges for an agent to perform specific actions in place of another.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx)
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement is mandated by the state of Pennsylvania to include a notary present to view the endorsements of all signing parties along with two (2) disinterested witnesses.
Minor Child Power of Attorney – Permits an alternate adult to proceed with particular parental actions for a child on an interim basis.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx)
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement from a notary and two (2) supervising witnesses.
Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney – Creates an agreement to lawfully establish rights associated with vehicle ownership, such as transferring, registering, and titling to an alternate person.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx)
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement to meet state regulations will demand that a notary confirm the document’s execution.
Real Estate Power of Attorney – Produces warranted agency for an alternate representative to perform select operations connected to another individual’s real property.
Download: PDF
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgment to activate the agreement will be needed from both a notary and two (2) witnesses.
Revocation of Power of Attorney – Applies the cancellation of an assigned power of attorney.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx)
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement by a notary is encouraged but not mandatory.
Tax Power of Attorney – Affirms the established conveyance of representation to a professional for assigned state tax activities.
Download: PDF
Signing Requirements: Acknowledgement of endorsement must include signatures from the designated attorney-in-fact and taxpayer. In instances where the representative is not an attorney, certified public accountant, or enrolled agent, notarization by a licensed official must be attained to confirm the document’s execution.