Also, the scope of the power of attorney will also become ineffective when the principal dies or becomes incapacitated, meaning if they suddenly suffer from an illness, physical or mental. Although some countries accept an oral power of attorney, in the United States, the written contract is still important. Choosing an Agent for your Power of Attorney By now you should know that when you get a power of attorney to authorize somebody else to execute your decisions in case you fail to do so, you need to find the right person to whom the authority would be bestowed. As a principal, you need to find your agent or attorney-in-fact. The durable power of attorney is also referred to as the health care power of attorney. In many situations, the health care power of attorney is different from the agent who would oversee financial and business matters. The attorney-in-fact who is given the durable power of attorney is required to make decisions related to the principal s health like stopping life support or performing surgery. Nobody would want to go morbid and prepare for something like dying from an illness. Death is easier because the will (as in the last will and testament) will take care of the legal matters post-mortem but dying is another thing altogether. This is especially true with people who are gravely injured and cannot make decisions for themselves like for instance when they are under comatose or when they cannot speak, move or are invalid. It is a document that allows a person to grant legal authority to another person to make decisions regarding finances, business, medications, health care, and other personal affairs on his or her behalf. In general, a principal can choose from four types of powers that he or she can give to his or her agent (also called the attorney-in-fact). For example, he/she must not be a stock investor who would gain more from buying your shares in a company in an inappropriate manner or pricing. The agent should be firm in keeping accurate all records pertaining to all transactions he/she gets into on your behalf. You could have the option not to include specifications or instructions that would give your agent the permission to transfer to himself/herself any of your property or bank account.