Free Vermont Limited Power of Attorney Form

A Vermont limited power of attorney gives your agent authority over only the matters you choose. The Vermont Uniform Power of Attorney Act, 14 V.S.A. chapter 127, governs it. The act took effect July 1, 2023.

The current act’s signing rule is short. Below is what it requires today.

Your Signature, Directly or at Your Direction

You sign the power of attorney, or another individual signs your name in your conscious presence at your direction (14 V.S.A. § 4005).

A Notary Creates a Presumption

When you acknowledge your signature before a notary public or other authorized official, the law presumes it genuine (§ 4005). As a result, a person who accepts that acknowledged document in good faith may rely on the presumption, unless they know the signature is fake (§ 4019(b)). They may also treat the document as valid and in effect, absent actual knowledge otherwise (§ 4019(c)).

Which Rules Apply Depends on the Date

A power of attorney signed in Vermont on or after July 1, 2023 is valid if it follows § 4005. One signed before that date is valid if it followed the law then in force (§ 4006(a)-(b)).

Copies and Out-of-State Documents

A photocopy or electronic copy generally has the same effect as the original (§ 4006(d)). Likewise, a document signed elsewhere can be valid in Vermont if it met the governing jurisdiction’s law when signed (§ 4006(c)). So your agent can usually work from a scan while you keep the original in a safe place at home.

Vermont’s statutory form, at 14 V.S.A. § 4051, grants general authority subject by subject, along with the incidental powers listed in § 4033. You strike through each subject you do not want to include. Consequently, any subject left unmarked stays in the grant.

For a Vermont limited power of attorney, that means striking most of the list. By contrast, specific acts that could significantly reduce your property, like making gifts, stay off-limits unless you initial them.

Two more defaults are worth changing on purpose. First, your agent is entitled to reasonable compensation unless you say otherwise in the Special Instructions. Second, the form doesn’t revoke your earlier powers of attorney unless you initial the paragraph that does. The form also states that it doesn’t authorize health care decisions.

Because the act took effect in 2023, start from current forms. Then follow this order:

1. Identify the task, along with the account or land it concerns.
2. On the statutory form, strike through every subject you’re not granting.
3. Initial only the specific acts your task requires.
4. Write any compensation limits and an end date in Special Instructions.
5. Sign, and acknowledge your signature before a notary public so the presumption applies.
6. Give your agent the document, plus a copy for their records.

Your Vermont limited power of attorney should make its narrow scope unmistakable. Include:

• Names of the principal and each agent
• A strike-through on every subject you aren’t granting
• Initials beside any specific act you do grant
• Special Instructions covering pay and an ending date
• Your choice on whether it revokes earlier documents
• A notarized signature, for the presumption of genuineness

Above all, use a template written for chapter 127. Documents signed on or after July 1, 2023 are judged under § 4005, so older templates may not match the current rules.