H.1523 - An Act relative to the Uniform Power of Attorney Act

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Background: Powers of attorney are used extensively by estate planners to name a trusted agent who can act in case of the principal's future incapacity, avoiding the need for a court-appointed conservator. 

What this bill does: H.1523 would update Massachusetts law to more clearly delineate the power and authority of those acting as attorneys-in-fact for principals/grantors of the power. 

A uniform act is one that seeks to establish the same law on a subject among the various jurisdictions. The Uniform Power of Attorney Act (UPOAA) provides a simple way for a person (the "principal") to name an agent to act for the principal and manage the principal's financial assets.

While the UPOAA is chiefly a set of default rules, the act also contains safeguards to deter and detect financial abuse.