Power of Attorney - Do it Yourself

This program uses a standard Power of Attorney form that is recognized and accepted in all of Minnesota.

POA Quick Definitions

• Principal: The person who names someone else to help handle legal and financial matters.

• Attorney-in-Fact: The person who gets the power to handle legal and financial matters for the Principal.

• Successor Attorney-in-Fact: Someone who can take over if the Attorney-in-Fact has to stop.
   

NOTE: When you name an Attorney-in-Fact, it doesn't mean you give up power over your legal and financial matters. it only means that your Attorney-in-Fact also has power over those matters.

What information will you need?
Before you start the interview, make sure you have the following information. First, you need a name and address for:

• Yourself

• Any Attorney-in-Fact

• Any Successor Attorney-in-Fact

• Anyone who will receive accountings that show what your Attorney-in-Fact has done (this can be a lawyer, an accountant, or a trusted friend - also optional)
   

Also, if you want to give your Attorney-in-Fact power over real estate transactions, but you want to limit that power to a certain property, you will need to provide the "legal description" of that property.

You can find the legal description on the property deed. Do not use the description on your real estate tax statement. It should look something like this:

"LOT 10 BLOCK 240 AND N. 30 FT OF LOT
11 BLOCK 240 COUNTY ..."

It is very important that you copy the description exactly as it appears on the deed. Mistakes can lead to problems - they can even make it so your Power of Attorney can not be used.

If you have property outside Minnesota and you want your Power of Attorney to handle it, you should contact a lawyer. This program is not for you.

Read the Power of Attorney Fact Sheet for more information.

This interview works best with Chrome or Firefox internet browsers. You will also need Microsoft Word. (Note: Microsoft Word Pad is not the same as Microsoft Word and will not work with this program.)

Start the interview by visiting the Power of Attorney interview on LawHelp Interactive. You will be taken to a new website. 

On LawHelp Interactive, choose:

1. "Get Started" to complete the interview right away, 
   
   OR
    
2. "Create Account or Log In" to create an account so you can save your answers and come back later if you need more time.
    

Start the Interview!