Enduring Powers of Attorney
Planning for When You Can't Make Decisions Yourself
If something happened to you tomorrow, who would pay your bills, handle your banking, or speak with your doctors? EPAs are your legal back-up plan — and you choose how we help: complete everything online at our lowest fees, or let us assist you every step of the way. Either way, a lawyer prepares, checks and witnesses your documents.
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Complete Your Questionnaire
One questionnaire covers everyone — you'll be asked at the start whether it is for one person or a couple. It takes 15–25 minutes online and saves automatically, so you can stop and return anytime.
Please note: enduring powers of attorney are statutory forms prescribed by law — their wording cannot be changed by us or by you. The choices you make are your answers to the questions we ask: who your attorneys are, when they can act, what they can do, and who they must consult or inform.
Start Online
The easiest way, and our lowest fees. Answer step by step — and if you get stuck, we'll help you complete it: just phone or email us. Nothing to print or send.
Preparation Guides
Download these first to gather the names, dates and details you'll need before you begin online.
Cannot Manage Online?
Download the paper questionnaire and fill in the blanks in pen. Then click below to accept our fees and terms, and attach a scan or clear photos of your completed form — or post it to us. Assisted fees apply.
The guides and the paper questionnaire follow the same section order as the online questionnaire.
However you complete it, a lawyer or registered legal executive checks your documents before signing.
Enduring Power of Attorney Fees
All fees include GST, preparation and checking by a lawyer or registered legal executive, and in-person witnessing at our Albany offices — required by law, as EPAs cannot be witnessed electronically.
| Service | Online 1 Person / Couple | Assisted 1 Person / Couple |
|---|---|---|
| EPA for Property | $249 / $379 | $349 / $649 |
| EPA for Welfare | $249 / $379 | $349 / $649 |
| Both EPAs | $449 / $679 | $649 / $1,199 |
Online EPAs include free updates for 12 months — if your circumstances change, we regenerate your EPAs at no charge. Assisted = paper questionnaire or completion with our help.
💡 EPAs as part of an estate plan
EPAs are included in all our will-based and trust-based estate plans. If you are setting up a complete estate plan, it is more cost-effective to include EPAs as part of the plan rather than separately.
What Are Enduring Powers of Attorney?
The right people, with the right powers, ready to step in when you can't.
An enduring power of attorney (EPA) is a legal document that lets you appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you become mentally incapable. There are two types — one for property (money and assets) and one for personal care and welfare (healthcare and living arrangements).
Without EPAs, if you lose the ability to make decisions, your family may need to apply to the Family Court to have someone appointed — a process that takes time, costs money, and means you don't have control over who is appointed or what powers they have.
Under New Zealand law, it is mandatory for a lawyer or qualified legal executive to give you advice and witness your signature for your EPA to be legally effective. We do this in a way that is thorough, but friendly and easy to understand.
The Two Types of EPA
A Property EPA lets you appoint one or more people you trust to make decisions about your bank accounts and investments, bills and everyday spending, your home and other property, and business interests and other assets.
You can choose whether your Property EPA takes effect straight away (useful if you want help with day-to-day finances while you're still capable) or only takes effect if you are later found to be mentally incapable.
You can also set conditions and limits on what your attorney can do, require them to consult certain people (for example, other family members or your accountant), and ask for reporting and monitoring — such as regular statements going to a trusted person.
A Personal Care and Welfare EPA lets you appoint someone you trust to make decisions about where you live, your day-to-day care and support, medical treatment and support services, and your general well-being.
Important points: you can only have one personal care and welfare attorney acting at a time (you can name backups), this EPA only takes effect if you are found to be mentally incapable, and your attorney can be authorised to act generally or only for specific matters.
There are some decisions your personal care and welfare attorney cannot make for you, including agreeing to a marriage or civil union, consenting to your child being adopted, refusing standard medical treatment needed to save your life, consenting to electro-convulsive treatment (ECT), certain brain surgery, or treatment mainly designed to change your behaviour. These limits protect you and ensure only appropriate decisions can be made on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our recommendation is yes — in case you become physically incapacitated or go overseas. Your safeguard is that you hold the original, and only the original can be used.
No — because if one dies or becomes mentally incapacitated, the EPA for property can no longer be used. That is risky.
No. Only one welfare attorney can act at a time. You can require them to consult with the successor welfare attorney(s).
Yes. For Property EPAs, you can appoint more than one attorney and decide whether they act together (jointly) or separately. For Personal Care and Welfare EPAs, the law only allows one attorney to act at a time, but you can name one or more successor attorneys.
A Property EPA can start immediately, or only if you become mentally incapable — you choose. A Personal Care and Welfare EPA only starts if you become mentally incapable.
Yes. You can change or revoke your EPAs at any time while you are still mentally capable. This might include changing attorneys, updating conditions, or changing when they come into effect. There are formal steps you must follow, including signing a written revocation and notifying your attorneys and key organisations.
Yes. For an EPA to be valid, the law requires that a lawyer or qualified legal executive (who is independent of your attorneys) give you advice and witness your signature on the EPA forms. EPAs are statutory forms prescribed by law — their wording cannot be changed; the choices you make are your answers to the questions we ask.
If you become mentally incapable and don't have EPAs, your family or others may need to apply to the Family Court so someone can be appointed to make decisions for you. That process takes time, costs money, and you don't have control over who is appointed or what powers they have. Having EPAs in place now avoids that uncertainty.