While the health care agent would be overseeing the principal s medical decisions. The attorney-in-fact or the agent does not have to be lawyer. H/she could be a relative, a daughter or son and even a trusted friend. When picking out an agent, make sure that the person would stand by the principal s beliefs since they would act on behalf of the person. Your general options are the general and limited powers of attorney. The first type grants an attorney-in-fact an unlimited control over your finances or health care without a predetermined period. In contrast, the second type is limited to only a certain kind of financial responsibility. 3. Be wary of the risks involved in granting another person the power to manage your finances. The document should be duly witnessed by a lawyer or a notary public. For the durable power of attorney, you should seek guidance from your private lawyer when doing the provisions or content of the document. Is it possible to make a power of attorney if I get mentally incapacitated? It is not in any way possible to do so. Although power of attorneys are often given for a specific period of time, some principals, or those who are giving the power of attorney, can extend the contract until something happens to them like when they become terminally ill or when they become gravely injured. This however should be plainly stated on the contract for the power of attorney. Powers of attorney are also intended to avoid certain situations that may cause the court to choose a conservator or a guardian to act on everything on your behalf. When the court does that, you won t have any say as to who it will appoint as your guardian it may be one of your family members or someone else. General power of attorney would include accessing safe deposit boxes, setting up trusts, transferring assets to trust funds, filing tax returns, entering contracts, representing the principal (signor of the document) and buying and selling property. This type of power of attorney would be valid unless specified by the document, the principal dies or revokes the document, or the document specifies that it would end upon the event when the principal gets incapacitated or disabled.