Cancelling & changing powers of attorney

You should check the requirements in each State/Territory. It is sometimes enough to simply tell the attorney that you don't want them to make any more decisions for you. The problem is that it can be difficult to prove what you said. The best way is to write on a piece of paper that you are cancelling the power of attorney, or to fill in the appropriate form as prescribed in your State/Territory.

If you do cancel a power of attorney, make sure you destroy all copies, including the attorney's copy.

And don't forget to tell your banks or other agencies that have dealt with the attorney. It is also possible for a Court or Tribunal to cancel a power of attorney, for instance if it not being used in your best interests.

If you want to change something in your power of attorney, e.g. the person you appointed as attorney, the easiest way is to prepare a new power of attorney. You can make changes to your original, but they would have to be initialled and the document might become messy and confusing.

Read this: This fact sheet is intended to be general information about the law in Australia. It is not a substitute for legal or other professional advice. LAwscape Communications Pty Ltd, F2 Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd or Moneymanager does not accept responsibility for loss to any person, who either acts or does not act because of this fact sheet.

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