Power of Attorney (POA) (Ontario)

Primer

In Ontario, Power of Attorney (POA) is a legal document which allows an individual to transfer the right to make decisions (medical and financial) to a trusted individual (the “attorney”), should they become incapable to make their own decisions either due to physical or mental incapacity. Medical POA and financial POA are separately designated, but a single individual can be POA for both.

Pearls

  • Once completed, the POA comes into effect immediately once the individual is incapable, there is no waiting period for it to take effect.
  • POA can be a given to a single person or shared by multiple people
  • You do not need a lawyer to get POA

Resources

For Patients