Introduction to Power of Attorney Collection

Power of Attorney Collection brings together two titles from People's Law School on powers of attorney:

Power of Attorney tells you how a power of attorney can be used to give someone the legal power to take care of financial and legal matters for you. It explains the types of power of attorney, who can be an attorney, what powers and responsibilities the attorney has, and how to end a power of attorney.
Managing Someone Else's Money is a guide for the attorney appointed under a power of attorney in British Columbia. It explains the attorney's duties and responsibilities, offers tips to avoid problems, and provides tools to stay organized.

The information in this collection applies in British Columbia, Canada.

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Copyright & Disclaimer

Power of Attorney Collection © People’s Law School is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.

At People's Law School, we believe accurate, plain English information can help people take action to work out their legal problems. This publication explains in a general way the law that applies in British Columbia, Canada. It is not intended as legal advice. For help with a specific legal problem, contact a legal professional. Some sources of legal help are highlighted in the "Where to Get Help" sections.

The cases we refer to are not always real but show a typical situation. We have included them to help you think about how to deal with your own situation.

Acknowledgements

Reviewers

The information in Power of Attorney Collection has been reviewed for legal accuracy by:

Kevin Smith, Barrister & Solicitor

Kevin Smith is a retired lawyer, having worked for several years with Seniors First BC (formerly BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support) in Vancouver. A graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, he has an LLM in Elder Law from the Center for Excellence in Elder Law at Stetson University. Prior to joining Seniors First BC, he worked as a legal aid lawyer in Ontario for 30 years, including as the Clinic Director of Parkdale Community Legal Services, a community clinic associated with Osgoode. His work with Seniors First BC focused on elder abuse matters including financial abuse and financial exploitation, capacity issues, issues in seniors housing and residential care, and pension appeals.

Other Contributors

Writing, editing and layout support was provided by Drew Jackson and Elena Renderos.

This publication was made possible through the financial support of the Law Foundation of BC, the Notary Foundation of BC, the Department of Justice Canada, and the Province of British Columbia.

About People's Law School

People's Law School is a non-profit society in British Columbia, dedicated to making the law accessible to everyone. We provide free education and information to help people effectively deal with the legal problems of daily life. Visit us online at www.peopleslawschool.ca.