Power of Attorney Lawyers in Singapore
A Power of Attorney lets someone act for you while you still have capacity, most often on a property transaction you cannot attend in person. We draft it, witness the signing and register it with the Court.
Clear, predictable power of attorney fees.
Court filing is included in our handling of the matter. Where a lawyer has to attend outside our office to witness signing, additional charges apply.
How long does a Power of Attorney take?
- 1 to 2 working days Drafting We prepare the POA, naming the property or the transaction and setting out exactly what the attorney may do.
- At signing Witnessed by a lawyer Only the person giving the power signs. The signing has to be witnessed by a lawyer, which is why it cannot simply be posted to you.
- 1 to 2 working days Filed with the Court We file the POA and the Court processes it. Once approved you can collect it or we can courier it to you.
Around three to four working days in total for a straightforward POA, most of which is the Court's processing rather than the drafting.
A Power of Attorney empowers one person to act on behalf of another. It is most often used for property, land and banking matters, where a transaction still requires a signature in person and the owner cannot be there to give it.
In Singapore, a POA for a property transaction must be signed in front of a lawyer and then filed in Court before it can be used. We handle the whole process.
When you need one
You are overseas when a transaction completes. The most common reason by far. A sale or purchase does not wait for a posting or a holiday, and a POA lets someone here sign for you.
You cannot attend in person. Illness, travel, work, or simply being in two places at once on completion day.
A joint owner is acting alone. One joint owner can give the power to the other, so there is no need to find a third party.
A bank or an authority requires a wet signature on something you cannot physically attend to sign.
What a POA is not
It is not a Lasting Power of Attorney, and the difference is the one people most often get wrong.
A POA operates while you have mental capacity and stops working the moment you lose it. An LPA does the opposite: it sits dormant and takes effect only once capacity is lost. If your concern is what happens should you become unable to make decisions in future, a POA is the wrong document, and it is worth knowing that before you sign one.
What we do
We draft the document for the specific transaction, since a POA has to identify the property or the matter and say precisely what the attorney may do. Too narrow and it fails at the counter; too wide and you have handed over more than you meant to.
We witness the signing as the law requires, file it with the Court, and get the approved document back to you.
Where the POA is for property outside Singapore, we work with lawyers in that jurisdiction on the form it needs to take, and our own Notary Public can witness your signature here, which usually saves a trip to an embassy. See notary public.
Related
For property transactions themselves, see residential conveyancing and commercial conveyancing. For documents that need to be sworn or witnessed rather than delegated, see commissioner for oaths and statutory declarations.
Powers of attorney in Singapore: frequently asked questions
I wish to make a Power of Attorney for my new HDB flat but I have not selected a flat yet. Can I proceed?
No, as the address of the property has to be identified in the Power of Attorney. You can however, sign a letter of authorisation to allow someone else to represent you for the selection of flats. The form of the letter can be found here: https://www20.hdb.gov.sg/bp13/bp13005p.nsf/8fa3e67377da0a35482586a1001e18e1/$FILE/Authorisation%20To%20Select%20a%20Flat.pdf
I wish to make a Power of Attorney for a property outside of Singapore. Are you able to assist?
If you require a Power of Attorney that will be used outside of Singapore, we work with law firms of that jurisdiction to draft and prepare the Power of Attorney. In addition, our firm Notary Public can also witness your signing of the Power of Attorney, so that you do not need to have it witnessed at an Embassy.
Does the person whom I am authorising to act on my behalf also need to come and sign the POA in front of your lawyers?
No. Only the persons giving the power have to sign the POA.
I am not in Singapore, can I still do a POA for a Singapore property?
Yes you can. Please get in touch with us for more details.
I am joint owners of a property but I do not have any one that I can give the POA to. What should I do?
A joint owner can give the power of attorney to the other joint owner – you do not need a third party.
I am in Singapore but I am unable to physically attend at your office. Can I still do a POA?
Yes, we can make arrangements for our lawyers to witness the signing at your location. Please note that additional charges apply for such arrangements.
How long will the entire process take? Must I come back to collect the POA?
The drafting of the POA will usually take 1-2 working days. After signing the POA, we will file it in Court, and the Court usually takes another 1-2 working days to process it. After the Court approves the POA, you can come back to our office to collect it, or we can arrange for it to be couriered to you.
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