Someone has asked you to be their power of attorney – but you’re concerned. How do you respond?
Becoming someone’s agent under a power of attorney is not something to be undertaken lightly. It is an enormous responsibility that can potentially become a stressful and time-consuming duty.
So what exactly is a POA? When you are designated as a power of attorney, you are given the power to make decisions on behalf of the “principal” (the person executing the power of attorney) in case the principal should become incapacitated. Your role as the agent is to make choices and take actions to manage the principal’s affairs based on what you believe the principal would have done themselves. In other words, put yourselves in their shoes and act as they would on a situational basis.