Free Ohio Power of Attorney Form for General Financial Matters

Ohio General Power of Attorney Requirements

Under Ohio's power of attorney law, a general power of attorney must be signed by the principal. Another person may sign the principal's name, but only when the principal directs it and the principal is conscious and present.^[1] The document takes effect when it is signed, unless it provides for a later start.^[2]

The statute states the signing rule this way:

A power of attorney must be signed by the principal or in the principal's conscious presence by another individual directed by the principal to sign the principal's name on the power of attorney.

The principal can choose a later start. The document may provide that it becomes effective at a future date or upon the occurrence of a future event or contingency.^[2]

On the Ohio form, the principal decides four things:

• Which powers the agent receives (page 2).
• When the power of attorney starts (page 3).
• When the power of attorney ends (page 3).
• Who steps in if the agent cannot serve (page 4).

Ohio General Power of Attorney Form Details

Filling Out the Ohio General Power of Attorney Form

The Ohio general financial power of attorney form has five pages and 41 fillable fields. Work through it in the order below, from the principal and agent names on page 1 to the acknowledgment on page 5. Each step shows the part of the form it covers.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Ohio general power of attorney template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

1. Principal and agent (page 1). Read the notice at the top. It says the powers are broad and that the form does not authorize medical or other health-care decisions. Then write your name and address in the appointment paragraph, followed by your agent's name and address.

   

2. Initial the powers (A) to (K) (page 2). Under Initial, write your initials on the line in front of each power you are granting, from (A) real property transactions to (K) benefits from social security, medicare, medicaid, or other governmental programs. Leave a line blank to withhold that power.

   

3. Initial (L), (M) or (N) (page 2). Initial (L) retirement plan transactions and (M) tax matters if you want to grant them. To grant every listed power, initial only line (N). The form says you need not initial any other line then. The three Special Instructions below the list are preprinted, so there is nothing to fill in. They cover medical claims, retirement and savings accounts, and digital assets.

   

4. Effective date (page 3). Under Effective Date, initial one line. The first line starts the power of attorney as soon as you sign. The second lets you write a later date and year in the blanks.

   

5. Termination date: written revocation (page 3). Under Termination Date, the form says to initial one line. Initial the first line if the power of attorney should end when you have signed a written revocation.

   

6. Termination date: a date or incapacity (page 3). Instead, initial the second line to end the power of attorney on a date you write in, or the third line to end it when you are determined to be incapacitated. The form defines incapacity just below the lines, continuing onto page 4. It means a court finding that you are incompetent, a court-appointed conservator or guardian for your estate, or written certification from two physicians who are unrelated to you and to each other.

   

7. Successor attorney-in-fact (page 4). In the Successor Attorney-in-Fact paragraph, write your agent's name, then the name and address of the alternate agent. The alternate steps in if your agent is unable or unwilling to serve. The paragraph above it covers more than one agent. It is preprinted, so there is nothing to fill in.

   

8. Signing date, signature and printed name (page 4). Fill in the day, month, and year on the "Signed this" line, sign above (signature), and print your name below. Just above that line, the form states that all prior general powers of attorney you executed are revoked. The form has no line for the agent to sign.

   

9. Acknowledgment: county, date and officer (page 5). You appear before the notary, who completes the acknowledgment with the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and your name. The certificate says the notary verifies only the identity of the person who signed, not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of the document.

   

10. Officer signature and seal (page 5). The notary signs on the Signature line at the bottom of page 5 and adds the seal. This line is for the notary, not for you.

    

How to Sign and Use the Ohio General Power of Attorney

Once the form is filled out, a few practical steps help the power of attorney work when your agent needs it. These steps are general practice, not requirements of Ohio law, and a bank or other institution may have its own rules for accepting the document.

1. Check the form before you sign. Read the names, initials, and dates once more. If you downloaded the PDF, you can type your entries with our online PDF editor and then print it.
2. Take it to a notary. Page 5 holds the acknowledgment, so many people sign and have it completed in one visit.
3. Make copies and give them to the people who need them. Provide a copy to your agent, to your successor attorney-in-fact if you named one, and to any financial institutions where your agent will act on your behalf. The form says a third party who receives a copy of it may act under it.
4. Keep the original safe. Store the signed original somewhere secure but easy to reach, such as a deposit box or with your attorney.
5. Tell people if you cancel it. If you decide to revoke the power of attorney (our revocation guide explains how), many people put the revocation in writing and tell the agent and every institution that holds a copy. The form says a revocation is not effective as to a third party until that party has actual knowledge of it.
6. Need a different document? If you want a document that keeps working after you become incapacitated, look at an Ohio durable power of attorney. You can also see every power of attorney form for Ohio on our site, or read about each type of power of attorney.

How an Ohio General Power of Attorney Ends

An Ohio power of attorney ends when one of the events in the state's power of attorney law happens. The principal's revocation and the principal's death are the best known. A separate list covers the events that end the agent's authority alone.

Ohio law lists these among the events that end a power of attorney:^[3]

• The principal dies.
• The principal revokes the power of attorney.
• The principal becomes incapacitated, if the power of attorney is not durable.
• The power of attorney provides that it terminates.
• The purpose of the power of attorney is accomplished.

An agent's authority terminates when, among other events, either of these happens:^[3]

• The principal revokes the authority.
• The agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a power of attorney have to be notarized in Ohio?

Ohio's power of attorney law ties notarization to a presumption. A signature on a power of attorney is presumed to be genuine if the principal acknowledges it before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments.^[1]

Is there a statutory form for a power of attorney in Ohio?

Yes. Ohio law says a document substantially in the statutory form may be used to create a statutory form power of attorney. That power of attorney has the meaning and effect prescribed by sections 1337.21 to 1337.64 of the Revised Code.^[4]

What if the agent acts before learning the power of attorney ended?

Termination or suspension of the agent's authority, or of the power of attorney, is not effective as to some people. These are an agent or other person who acts in good faith under the power of attorney without actual knowledge or notice of it.^[3]

What happens if the agent cannot serve in Ohio?

The power of attorney terminates when both of these are true:^[3]

• The principal revokes the agent's authority, or the agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns.
• The power of attorney does not provide for another agent to act.

The Successor Attorney-in-Fact paragraph on page 4 of the form is where you name that second agent.

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General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Ohio Rev. Code Ann..

1. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 1337.25
2. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 1337.29
3. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 1337.30
4. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 1337.60

Mara Erlach

Writer & Attorney

Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.