A Michigan general power of attorney is a written document in which one person, the principal, names an agent to handle money and property matters for them. Michigan sets the signing rules in section 556.205 of its compiled laws, which says the principal must sign it.[1.1] The FormsPal Michigan power of attorney form covers financial matters only. It does not authorize anyone to make medical or health-care decisions.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Michigan law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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About the Michigan Power of Attorney Form
The FormsPal Michigan power of attorney form is a five-page PDF that names an agent to act for the principal on financial matters. You can build it online with the FormsPal builder, or download the Michigan power of attorney form PDF and print it. To fill in the downloaded file on screen, use the online PDF editor.
Michigan sets the signing rules for a power of attorney in section 556.205 of its compiled laws. To make it durable, the statute asks for one of two things, an acknowledgment before a notary public or a signature in front of two witnesses.[1.2]
The principal must sign the power of attorney.[1.1]
The principal can direct another individual to sign the principal's name, if that individual signs in the principal's conscious presence.[1.2]
To be durable, it must be acknowledged by the principal before a notary public or other individual authorized to take acknowledgments.[1.2]
Or, to be durable, it must be signed in the presence of two witnesses, both of whom also sign the power.[1.2]
A power of attorney executed in the presence of witnesses must be signed by the principal and by at least two witnesses.[1.1]
A witness may not be an agent nominated in the power.[1.1]
One of the witnesses may also be the notary public or other individual who takes the acknowledgment.[1.2]
The principal's signature is presumed genuine if the principal acknowledges it before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments.[1.1]
The FormsPal form prints a notary acknowledgment on page 5. It has no witness block, so check the signing rules above before you sign.
Filling Out the Michigan General Financial Power of Attorney Form
The FormsPal template has ten parts across five form pages, so you complete it from top to bottom. Each step below names a part of the form and says what goes there. Make your entries in the builder, or on the printed PDF.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Michigan 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.
Appointment paragraph (principal and agent): on page 1, read the notice at the top. Then write your name and address in the first blanks and your agent's name and address in the next blanks.Step 1: sample entries, not a real document.
Powers (A) to (K): on page 2, initial the line in front of each power you want to grant, from real property transactions through benefits from government programs. Leave a line blank to withhold that power.Step 2: sample entries, not a real document.
Powers (L), (M) and (N): still on page 2, initial retirement plan transactions, tax matters, or both. To grant every power, initial line (N) only, because the form says you need not initial any other line. Special Instructions 1 to 3 are printed on pages 2 and 3 and have no blanks.Step 3: sample entries, not a real document.
Effective date: on page 3, initial the line for the start you want, either right away or on a date you write in. For a date, fill in the date and year.Step 4: sample entries, not a real document.
Termination date (written revocation): still on page 3, the form offers three ways to end the power of attorney. Initial the first line if it should end when you sign a written revocation.Step 5: sample entries, not a real document.
Termination date (set date or incapacity): initial the second line to end it on a date you write in. Initial the third line to end it when you are determined to be incapacitated, a term the form defines on pages 3 and 4.Step 6: sample entries, not a real document.
Successor attorney-in-fact: on page 4, write the agent's name, then the alternate agent's name and address. The alternate agent serves if the first agent is unable or unwilling to serve.Step 7: sample entries, not a real document.
Date and signature: still on page 4, fill in the day, month and year after "Signed this", sign on the signature line, and print your name below it.Step 8: sample entries, not a real document.
Acknowledgment (county and officer): on page 5, the blanks are the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and the name of the person who appeared before the officer. The form says the officer verifies only the identity of the signer.Step 9: sample entries, not a real document.
Acknowledgment (signature and seal): at the bottom of page 5, the officer who completes the acknowledgment signs the Signature line and adds the seal.Step 10: sample entries, not a real document.
How to Sign and Use the Michigan General Power of Attorney
After you fill in the form, you sign it, decide how to make it durable, and share it. The principal must sign, and page 5 of the form has a notary acknowledgment block. These four steps cover what comes after the blanks are filled in.
Review every entry: check that each initial, name and address is correct and that no line is blank by mistake.
Add a notary acknowledgment or two witnesses: to be durable, the signed power of attorney must be acknowledged before a notary public or signed in front of two witnesses who also sign.[1.2] The agent cannot be a witness.[1.1] The FormsPal form has a notary block and no witness block.
Share and store it: many people give a copy to their agent and keep the original in a safe place.
How a Michigan Power of Attorney Ends
A Michigan power of attorney ends when the principal revokes it, when the principal dies, or on another event listed in Mich. Comp. Laws § 556.210. The agent's authority can also end on its own, for example when the agent resigns.[2]
The power of attorney itself terminates in these cases:
The principal becomes incapacitated, if the power of attorney is not durable.[2]
The specified purpose of the power is accomplished, if it was intended only for a specified, limited purpose.[2]
An event occurs that, according to the terms of the power of attorney, terminates the power.[2]
The principal revokes the agent's authority, or the agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns, and the power of attorney does not provide for another agent to act under the power.[2]
The agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns.[2]
An action is filed for the dissolution or annulment of the agent's marriage to the principal or for the legal separation of the agent and the principal, unless the power of attorney provides otherwise.[2]
Unless the power of attorney provides otherwise, an agent's authority is exercisable until it terminates, despite any lapse of time since the power was signed.[2]
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers cover the questions people ask most about a Michigan power of attorney. They deal with notarization, witnesses, how it ends, and what happens when an agent acts without knowing it has ended. Each answer follows the Michigan statutes listed in the Sources section.
Does Michigan require a power of attorney to be notarized?
The statute names notarization as one of two ways to make a power of attorney durable. The other is to sign it in the presence of two witnesses who also sign.[1.2] The principal's signature is presumed genuine if the principal acknowledges it before a notary public or other individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments.[1.1]
Can the agent be a witness to a Michigan power of attorney?
No. A witness may not be an agent nominated in the power. A power of attorney executed in the presence of witnesses must be signed by the principal and by at least two witnesses.[1.1]
Does a Michigan power of attorney end when the principal dies or becomes incapacitated?
The principal becomes incapacitated, if the power of attorney is not durable.[2]
Even then, incapacity does not revoke or terminate it as to a person who, without actual knowledge of the incapacity, acts in good faith under it.[2]
Does signing a new power of attorney revoke an older one in Michigan?
Not by itself. Signing a new power of attorney does not revoke a previous one unless the new power says so. It must state that the previous power is revoked or that all other powers of attorney are revoked. A power of attorney also terminates when the principal revokes it.[2]
What happens if an agent acts before learning the power of attorney has ended?
Termination is not effective as to an agent or another person who, without actual knowledge of it, acts in good faith under the power. An act done that way, unless otherwise invalid or unenforceable, binds the principal and the principal's successors in interest.[2]
General information, not legal or tax advice.
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Sources
Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Mich. Comp. Laws.
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.
