From our “Ask a Question” Mailbag: Revoking a Pennsylvania Power of Attorney

Most Recently Updated July 15, 2018.

“Years ago, I gave my friend a General Durable Power of Attorney. Now I am married, living in Delaware County and want to give Power of Attorney to my spouse. My now-former friend will not give me the old Power of Attorney. Can I revoke or void the Power of Attorney if he still has the original?”

Revoking a Pennsylvania Power of Attorney

Revoking a Pennsylvania Power of Attorney

Yes, you can void a Power of Attorney at any time, as long as you have the requisite mental capacity. Your situation will be a little more complex, as you have given the original document to your former Agent. I have not seen that Power of Attorney, but it may have a paragraph that states that banks and others need not confirm with you that the document is still in power.

What Should You Do?

To protect yourself, have an experienced Delaware County Estate Planning Attorney draft a new Power of Attorney for your signature that clearly revokes the old document. Then, your attorney can provide a copy of that new Power of Attorney to all your financial institutions along with notification that the old Power of Attorney is void. If you believe your “former friend” may do something nefarious with the old Power of Attorney, we could always bring him before the Delaware County Orphans’ Court and have the judge order him to turn over all copies of the document.

More Planning Questions?

Revoking a Power of Attorney is only a piece of the Estate Planning process. By all means, if you want to learn more, please read my more detailed article, Estate Planning Everything You Need to Know.

In Conclusion: Revoking a Pennsylvania Power of Attorney

I hope that this article was helpful in explaining how to revoke a power of attorney. Further, I included links to even more detailed information on my website so you can learn more. Therefore, please contact me and let me know how I did. Certainly, your comments and questions are welcome!

Let our Estate Planning lawyers help walk you through what can be a confusing process. To begin with, call to speak to one of our experienced estate planning lawyers.  By all means, our lawyers are ready to answer your questions. In fact, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation. Ultimately our goal is to make the process as painless as possible!

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