Can Two People Have the Power of Attorney for the Same Person?

The principal can name two people as agents, called joint power of attorney. It is imperative, however, that a principal does not make this decision simply to appease relatives. The decision should be the principal’s, and should be made because the principal believes it is the best decision for her care.

When naming two agents, the principal should include both agents in the same power of attorney agreement. All three parties should sign the document at the same time in the presence of two witnesses, and both agents will need their own copy of the signed agreement.

Read More: Can You Have a Dual Power of Attorney With Two Acting Agents?

The principal should take care to give each agent separate powers and clearly outline what powers each agent has within the agreement. Granting both the same or overlapping powers is allowed, but can lead to disagreements between the agents later and prevent either from being able to act on behalf of the principal.

Do not draft separate power of attorney agreements for each agent. Otherwise, the agreement created last will be the agreement that prevails, and only one agent will have power of attorney for the principal.

When revoking power of attorney for just one agent, the principal will need to draft a new power of attorney document granting authority to only the other agent.