A power of attorney, or POA, is a legal document giving another person the legal authority to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf. You should only name this agent or attorney-in-fact to be your POA if you trust them implicitly and believe they will always manage your affairs with your best interest in mind. Beck, Lenox & Stolzer Estate Planning and Elder Law, LLC, offers this recent article for your review from Washington Independent, “Can A Power Of Attorney Transfer Money To Themselves?”. What can a Power of Attorney do with your money?
There are different types of power of attorney and ethical and legal considerations surrounding the transfer of money. The two main types of POA are general POA and durable POA. A general POA gives the agent broad authority to handle financial and other matters on your behalf, and the power ends if you become incapacitated. A durable POA remains in effect, if you become incapacitated and continues until your death or until it is revoked.
The powers given to an agent vary widely depending on the state laws governing the document, and also vary depending on the specific document. In general, an agent can use the POA to handle a wide range of financial matters, including paying bills, managing investments, buying and selling real property and signing legal documents.
Using non-state specific POA blank forms downloaded from the web almost always leads to complicated (read: costly and time-consuming) problems for an agent. The specific powers granted to the agent need to be spelled out in the document. For example, you may wish for your POA to manage paying household bills, but not to sell the house.
There are also ethical considerations. While the POA gives the agent the authority to transfer money on your behalf, they are fiduciaries and are held to a higher standard of ethics. They must act in your best interest at all times.
If an agent transferred money from your account into their own account for their benefit would be a clear violation and could result in legal consequences, including criminal charges. The transfer could be challenged in court and the agent could be held accountable for any damages.
If you are concerned about a person abusing this role, there are steps to take to minimize the risk.
- Chose a trustworthy and reliable person to serve as your agent.
- Limit the powers granted by having a customized Power of Attorney drafted by an experienced estate planning attorney. The document could specify that the agent is not permitted to transfer money to themselves or use your funds for their personal benefit.
- Monitoring the action of the agent. If you are incapacitated, name a person to monitor the agent and provide them with contact information for your estate planning attorney if there are any questions.
So what can a Power of Attorney do with your money? It depends on what is written into the document. Beck, Lenox & Stolzer provides advice on what you should consider including and not including, as well as how to choose your POA. Here’s a link to our website to get more information with a free phone call from one of our attorneys.
Reference: Washington Independent (Feb. 7, 2023) “Can A Power Of Attorney Transfer Money To Themselves?”
