Power of attorney

An enduring power of attorney specifies who should make financial decisions for you when you are no longer able to do so yourself. Possible actions might include making bank transactions, entering into or canceling a rental agreement or buying or selling property. Questions about medical treatment and the right to determine  where you live are also covered by an enduring power of attorney.

With an enduring power of attorney, you can grant one trusted person a power of attorney for all your financial affairs, or grant powers of attorney that only apply to specific areas, such as bank transactions.

If there is no enduring power of attorney, a guardianship court (court of protection) will appoint a legal guardian in the case of legal incapacity.

The enduring power of attorney must be signed and dated. Before creating an enduring power of attorney, you should find out as much as possible about how they work. A counseling session at an AIDS service organization can be very helpful.

Medical associations, the German Federal  Ministry of Justice (BMJ) and care associations also provide examples in German you can base your own enduring power of attorney on.