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Power of attorney for a single matter (England and Wales)
England and Wales · in English
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9 questions · about 4 min
Made for use in England and Wales
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For someone who needs another person to act for them in one matter only — selling a car, signing a contract, dealing with a bank account or a property sale while they are abroad. A deed (Powers of Attorney Act 1971, s 1) that names the matter, what the attorney may sign and when the power ends, signed in front of a witness. If a letter of authority or the organisation’s own free form will do, use that first.
- Made for use in England and Wales
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You are selling your car in England but will be abroad, so someone must sign for you.
- Your brother needs to sign a contract in your name while you are in hospital.
- You want someone to complete the sale of your property in Wales while you live overseas.
- You need a power of attorney for one matter only, not for all your affairs.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Date
- Principal
- Principal's address
- Town or city
- Principal's postcode
- Attorney (the person you appoint)
- Attorney's address, with postcode
- Powers granted
- Valid until
Common questions
- Is a letter of authority enough, or do I need a power of attorney by deed?
- To let someone talk to an organisation, receive information or collect something for you, a letter of authority is usually enough, and many bodies have their own free form for it — a bank’s third-party mandate, or HMRC’s online service for authorising a friend or relative. A power of attorney by deed is for when the person must sign a contract, transfer or deed in your name, or when the other side asks for one.
- How precisely should I describe what the attorney may do?
- As precisely as you can: name the car with its registration number, the property with its address, the account with its bank and number, the contract and the other party. The attorney may do that matter and nothing else, so a vague description can leave them unable to finish it, and a wide one gives away more than you meant. If you lose mental capacity before the matter is finished, the power can no longer be used.
- Who can witness my signature on a power of attorney?
- An adult who is physically with you when you sign; choose someone other than your attorney, and practice also avoids a relative or someone who gains from the matter. The witness signs straight after you and writes their name, address and occupation, so that they can be found if the signature is ever questioned. No solicitor or notary is needed for use in England and Wales; for use abroad, ask the other country what it requires (often a notary and an apostille).
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- General power of attorney under the 1971 Act (England and Wales)
For an adult who wants someone they trust to handle their money and affairs while they can still decide for themselves — when abroad, in hospital or simply needing help. A deed in the form of section 10 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1971, signed in front of a witness. It stops working if you lose mental capacity; for that, make a lasting power of attorney through the Office of the Public Guardian, whose online service is the first place to look.
- Deed of revocation of a power of attorney (England and Wales)
For someone who gave a general or one-off power of attorney and wants to end it — they no longer need it, or no longer trust the attorney. The deed revokes the power from its date and is signed in front of a witness. Give a copy to the attorney and to every bank or organisation that has dealt with them: until they know, they may still be protected if they rely on the power (Powers of Attorney Act 1971, s 5). Not for a registered lasting power of attorney.
- Letter confirming that someone lives at your address (UK)
For a homeowner, tenant or landlord asked to confirm in writing that a person — a partner, grown-up child, relative or lodger — lives at the address, often for a bank account, a phone contract, a school or a GP registration. The UK has no residence certificate, so organisations ask for bills or statements, and some accept a letter like this; ask them first what they accept. The letter states since when the person has lived there and gives your contact details.
- Statutory declaration to confirm facts in writing (England and Wales)
For anyone asked by a bank, employer, council, DVLA or another organisation to confirm facts by statutory declaration — a lost document, living together, a name used, an address or a family link. You write the facts in numbered paragraphs; the document adds the words the Statutory Declarations Act 1835 requires. You sign it in person before a solicitor or commissioner for oaths, for the fee set by law of £5, plus £2 for each exhibit, or before a notary public, who sets their own fee.
- Change of name deed for an adult (England and Wales)
For anyone aged 16 or over who is changing their first name, surname or both — after marriage, divorce or simply by choice — and needs proof for their bank, employer, HM Passport Office or DVLA. An unenrolled deed poll you make yourself: it renounces the old name, adopts the new one and is signed in both names in front of two adult witnesses. GOV.UK explains the free route and the optional enrolment at the Royal Courts of Justice, which costs a fee.
- Change of name deed for a child (England and Wales)
For a parent or guardian changing the name of a child under 18 — after a divorce, a new family or at the child’s wish. Everyone with parental responsibility must agree, or the court must permit it; the deed says which, and a 16- or 17-year-old signs their own consent. It renounces the old name and adopts the new one, signed in front of two adult witnesses. GOV.UK explains the free route and the optional enrolment, which costs a fee.