**Attorney-in-Fact** (noun) — An individual authorized to act on another person's behalf under a power of attorney, with authority to make decisions and take actions as specified in the power of attorney document.
An attorney-in-fact is someone you've given legal authority to act for you. Despite the name, they don't need to be a lawyer—"attorney" here just means "agent" or "representative." They're the person you've appointed in your power of attorney document.
The attorney-in-fact can do whatever you've authorized them to do in the power of attorney. This might be managing your finances, selling property, making business decisions, or handling legal matters. The scope of their authority depends entirely on what the document says.
This is different from someone who represents you as a legal professional. Your attorney-in-fact is acting as you, making decisions you could make yourself if you were present and able. A lawyer represents your interests but isn't making decisions as if they were you.
⏱ When you'll encounter this term
People appoint attorneys-in-fact for various reasons. You might need someone to handle affairs while you're traveling, managing property in another country, or unable to attend to matters yourself. Most commonly, people appoint attorneys-in-fact through durable powers of attorney that continue working if they become incapacitated.
The attorney-in-fact has a fiduciary duty to act in your best interests. They must keep accurate records, avoid conflicts of interest, and use the authority only for your benefit. Abusing the position is a serious legal matter.
You'll encounter this term when setting up powers of attorney or when someone needs to verify that the person acting on another's behalf has proper authority. Banks, government agencies, and businesses routinely ask attorneys-in-fact to provide copies of the power of attorney document proving their authority.
**Related terms:** [Power of Attorney](/dictionary/power-of-attorney), [Agent](/dictionary/agent), [Fiduciary](/dictionary/fiduciary)
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"Under the power of attorney, I became Mum's attorney-in-fact and could sign documents on her behalf."