There are a number of different types of power of attorney that meet specific needs of the maker. Regardless of which type of power of attorney you give someone, they are not generally paid to be your agent.
Definition
A power of attorney is a legal power given to a person (called an agent) by the maker (the person giving the powers to the agent). A power of attorney can be broad in nature, specific or related only to health care.
Effect
The effect of a power of attorney is that the agent has the legal authority to act on behalf of the maker. Depending on the type of power of attorney used, the agent may be able to act in all legal transactions, only a specific transaction or only make health care decisions.
Read More: Risks of a Financial Power of Attorney
Payment
An agent does not generally receive payment for acting on behalf of the maker. As a rule, a person only gives someone they trust implicitly, such as a family member or spouse, power of attorney. Occasionally an attorney will be given power of attorney and will naturally be compensated for her time when acting as a power of attorney.
References
Writer Bio
Renee Booker has been writing professionally since 2009 and was a practicing attorney for almost 10 years. She has had work published on Gadling, AOL's travel site. Booker holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Ohio State University and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University School of Law.