Your attorney must be aged over 16 and be willing to take on the role of attorney. There is no limit to the number of attorneys that you can appoint. It is possible to appoint a sole attorney or joint attorneys and substitute attorneys. You can appoint either individuals or an organisation, such as a firm of solicitors, as your continuing (financial) attorney. However, individuals only may be appointed as welfare attorneys. The law says that someone who is currently declared as bankrupt cannot be a continuing attorney.
A PoA is an important and powerful document. You need to give careful consideration who to appoint as your attorney. This should be someone you are confident will act responsibly and who has the necessary skills to carry out the tasks and make decisions on your behalf. It’s good practice to write down your thoughts or have a conversation with your attorneys to help them understand what is important to you, such as your:
Preferred place of residence and how that should be arranged
Food - likes and dislikes
Entertainment - likes and dislikes
Friends and others you’d like to keep in touch with
Birthdays of others you’d like support to remember
Spiritual or religious beliefs and practices
Lifestyle choices such as preference to be busy, or to sleep late at weekends
Activities – eg. walking, reading, watching television, music
Fluctuating capacity (or not), and how people can recognise when they should start helping you, and when to leave the decision making to you