California General (Financial) Power of Attorney Form
The California General (Financial) Power of Attorney is a legal document used by one (1) person to declare a person as their temporary asset manager (the “agent”). The principal has the full say over what powers the agent has, and has the right to terminate the agreement at any time, for any reason, using a revocation form. The agent is bound by exercising all powers as laid out in the POA, which can be as broad or specific as necessary for the agent to carry out their duties. Should the principal face a medical emergency that leaves them in a state of unresponsiveness (or not being able to communicate), the agent will be stripped of their power(s), with or without the use of the revocation form. It is this factor that differentiates the general POA from their durable counterpart.
As stated in the form, the POA cannot be used for anything related to health care decisions. If the principal is looking to direct a principal with powers relating to their health, the health care POA should be used.
Signing requirements (Ch.2, § 4121): The principal has a choice of either getting two (2) witnesses or a Notary Public to witness/acknowledge the POA.