Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015

Content of instrument creating an enduring power of attorney

60. (1) An instrument creating an enduring power of attorney shall include the following statements:

(a) by the donor that he or she—

(i) understands the implications of creating the power,

(ii) intends the power to be effective at any subsequent time when he or she lacks capacity in relation to one or more relevant decisions which are the subject of the power, and

(iii) is aware that he or she may vary or revoke the power prior to its registration;

(b) by a legal practitioner that, after interviewing the donor and making any necessary enquiries, he or she—

(i) is satisfied that the donor understands the implications of creating the power,

(ii) is satisfied that the donor is aware that he or she may vary or revoke the power prior to its registration, and

(iii) has no reason to believe that the instrument is being executed by the donor as a result of fraud, coercion or undue pressure;

(c) by a registered medical practitioner that in his or her opinion at the time the power was executed, the donor had the capacity to understand the implications of creating the power;

(d) by a healthcare professional of a class that shall be prescribed, that in his or her opinion at the time the power was executed, the donor had the capacity to understand the implications of creating the power; and

(e) by the attorney, that he or she—

(i) understands the implications of undertaking to be an attorney for the donor and has read and understands the information contained in the instrument,

(ii) understands and undertakes to act in accordance with his or her functions as specified in the instrument creating the enduring power of attorney,

(iii) understands and undertakes to act in accordance with the guiding principles,

(iv) understands and undertakes to comply with the reporting obligations under section 75 , and

(v) understands the requirements in relation to registration of the power.

(2) An instrument creating an enduring power of attorney shall include the following:

(a) the name, date of birth and contact details of the donor;

(b) subject to subsection (3), the signature of the donor and the date that he or she signed the power;

(c) the name, date of birth and contact details of the attorney;

(d) the signature of the attorney and the date that he or she signed the enduring power of attorney;

(e) the signatures of the 2 witnesses referred to in subsection (4)(a).

(3) An instrument creating an enduring power of attorney may be signed on behalf of the donor by a person who has attained the age of 18 years and who is not the attorney or a witness referred to in subsection (4)(a) if—

(a) the donor is unable to sign the instrument,

(b) the donor is present and directs that the instrument be signed on his or her behalf by that person, and

(c) the signature of the person is witnessed in accordance with subsection (4)(b).

(4) (a) The donor, or the person signing on his or her behalf in accordance with subsection (3), and the attorney shall sign the instrument creating the enduring power of attorney in the presence of each other and in the presence of 2 witnesses—

(i) each of whom has attained the age of 18 years,

(ii) of whom at least one is not an immediate family member of the donor or the attorney, and

(iii) neither of whom is an employee or agent of the attorney.

(b) Each of the witnesses referred to in paragraph (a) shall witness the signature of the donor (or the person signing on his or her behalf) and the signature of the attorney by applying his or her own signature to the instrument creating the enduring power of attorney.

(5) Where a donor proposes to remunerate an attorney for performing his or her functions as attorney, the instrument creating the enduring power of attorney shall specify the proposed remuneration and the functions to which it relates.

(6) In this section, “immediate family member” means—

(a) a spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant,

(b) a child, son-in-law or daughter-in-law,

(c) a parent, step-parent, mother-in-law or father-in-law,

(d) a brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, brother-in-law or sister-in-law,

(e) a grandparent or grandchild,

(f) an aunt or uncle, or

(g) a nephew or niece.