Power of attorney (POA) is the legal authority to make financial, business, or medical decisions on behalf of another person. It’s also the name of the document that gives this authority.
The person assigning power of attorney is the “principal” and the person chosen to make decisions is the “agent.”
A power of attorney form must comply with state laws. Find your free Washington (WA) power of attorney form by type below.
Washington (WA) Power of Attorney Documents
Washington Power of Attorney for Minor Child
If you need to assign temporary parental responsibility for a minor child to an agent, you may do so using a Washington limited power of attorney for a minor child.
Washington State Real Estate Power of Attorney
A real estate power of attorney differs from other types of powers of attorney in that it allows the agent specified to act on the principal’s behalf only on matters related to real estate or property.
When filling out the form, only sign against the real-estate-related powers you wish to transfer to your agent, and leave the other powers blank.
Download: MS Word (.docx) or Adobe PDF
How to Get Power of Attorney in Washington
To set up a power of attorney, both the agent and principal fill out and sign a power of attorney form.
The form needs to meet the requirements in the Washington Uniform Power of Attorney Act.
In Washington state, powers of attorney are not presumed durable. This means the agent’s powers will terminate if the principal becomes incapacitated unless the POA form includes language stating that the agent’s powers are not affected by the principal’s subsequent disability or incapacitation.
All the forms on this page meet Washington state requirements.
Washington Power of Attorney Requirements
Powers of attorney created in Washington state must contain the following information:
- The name and address of the principal and agent(s)
- What powers are granted to the agent
- Any specific limitations on the agent’s powers
- When the agent’s powers begin and end
- The date of execution
- Signatures of the principal and agent, and notary
The principal must acknowledge their signature in front of a notary public for the document to be valid.