Powers Of Attorney

Power of Attorney is the legal power to make decisions on someone else's behalf.

"Enduring" simply means that the power continues even if the person giving it loses the capacity to make decisions.

By completing an Enduring Power of Attorney, you can give a person of your choice the power to make decisions on your behalf about:

• Personal / health matters

and / or

• Financial matters

Examples of personal / health matters are decisions about where and with whom you live, whether you work or undertake education or training, whether you apply for a licence or permit, day-to-day issues like diet and dress, and whether to consent, refuse to consent or withdraw consent to particular types of health care for you (such as an operation).

An example of a financial matter is deciding how your income should be invested.

You cannot give your attorney power to make decisions about:

• Special personal matters such as a decision about your will, appointing someone as your attorney, voting at elections, or consenting to adoption or marriage;
• Special health matters, such as donation of body tissue, sterilisation, pregnancy termination, research or experimental health care, or certain psychiatric or other health care as specified in the regulations.

Nor can you give your attorney power to authorise the withdrawing or withholding of life-sustaining medical treatment if, for instance, you become terminally ill or go into a state of permanent or persistent unconsciousness. If you wish to give instructions about this type of decision, you will need to make an Advance Health Directive.

It is important that your intentions be expressed clearly.

For more information contact us.