jennifer mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikihow. jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikihow’s legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. powers of attorney in other jurisdictions have different legal requirements, and you should check the laws of your jurisdiction prior to making or accepting a power of attorney if you do not live in the united states.

a power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone the authority to sign documents and conduct transactions on another person’s behalf. you might give someone power of attorney to act in a particular transaction if you cannot do it yourself, such as signing documents at a real estate closing when you are out of town. when you sign a document as someone’s attorney-in-fact, your signature needs to make it clear that you—not they—are signing the document and that you are acting under the authority of a power of attorney. you should never sign your name or the other person’s name without indicating that you are signing under a power of attorney. a person who acts under a power of attorney is a fiduciary. it’s a good idea to consult a lawyer before signing as power of attorney in a transaction where you will reap substantial benefits.