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. The other person to whom you are intentionally providing powers or authority is called the agent or the attorney-in-fact. Take note that just because the term attorney is used does not necessarily mean that you need to give an authority only to a lawyer. Your agent or attorney-in-fact could be of any profession, not necessarily a lawyer. 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 POA can do practically any transaction on your behalf. 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. There is also what they call the Psychiatric Advance Directives, which gives the grantee the right to decide for the care and treatment of someone who is mentally ill. Sometimes, this is appointed by the parents or by the courts, depending on who had guardianship on the person. Anytime, the power of attorney given to a person can be revoked regardless of the specified period stated in the document. As the term implies, limited powers of attorney grant limited and specific control of an attorney-in-fact over the estate of the principal. With such type of power of attorney, a principal can prepare for certain situations without giving full authority to his or her agent. There are various types of limited powers of attorney.