When you, as the donor, give someone a Power of Attorney, that person has the same power as a person with an Enduring Power of Attorney. The only difference is this that if you lose your capacity, the person with a Power of Attorney cannot act any more, while a person with an Enduring Power of Attorney can continue to act even after you have lost your capacity.

You can make an Enduring Power of Attorney at any time, as long as you have mental capacity.

Yes, you can place restrictions on your enduring attorney. You can also state when your EPA comes into effect: either once you and your enduring attorney sign it or after the State Administrative Tribunal finds you no longer have mental capacity. In an Enduring Power of Attorney you can state how long the Power of Attorney lasts too.

As long as you have mental capacity, you can carry on your own financial affairs until you give your enduring attorney that power.

You can appoint anyone over 18 who has mental capacity, is trustworthy, and will always act in your best interests. They could be someone like your spouse/partner, child, another family member, accountant, or lawyer. You should get their permission beforehand to act as your enduring attorney.

You can appoint a maximum of two main enduring attorneys and a maximum of two substitute enduring attorneys.

Yes, they can act together if you appoint them to be joint enduring attorneys. You can choose to appoint your enduring attorneys to act jointly (together) or jointly and severally (together or separately, one without the other).

If you want your enduring attorney to deal with your land, it’s a good idea to register your EPA with Landgate within three months of signing it. You may want to seek further legal advice if this applies to you.

Yes, you can revoke your EPA at any time, as long as you have mental capacity. You have to inform your enduring attorney and any relevant authorities that you have revoked it. If you’ve registered your EPA at Landgate, you must fill out a form to revoke it. Your enduring attorney can also revoke their appointment, but you must have mental capacity when they do this. You should seek legal advice if any of these apply.

An EPA lasts as long as you’re alive. It expires when you die.

To make your EPA legal, it needs to be signed by you and your enduring attorney. Your signature must be witnessed by two independent witnesses. One should be someone who can legally witness a statutory declaration, such as a Justice of the Peace, lawyer, doctor, teacher, police officer, pharmacist, or nurse. The other witness can be anyone who is over 18. Your enduring attorney must accept their appointment by signing the EPA – their signature doesn’t need to be witnessed.