Changing or cancelling your powers

There are different reasons why you might want to change or ‘revoke’ (cancel) a power of attorney or guardianship. These may include:

• Your relationship with the attorney has changed.
• You now know someone who would be more suitable for the role.
• You or the attorney may have moved.
• Your financial, health or lifestyle circumstances have changed so much that the person you appointed is no longer suited to make decisions on your behalf. For example, your financial situation has become more complex and the person you appointed is no longer appropriate for the role.
• Your wishes have changed and you want to change your attorney’s instructions.

Depending on what you want, this could mean appointing a different person or the same person again with different responsibilities.

Remember, your attorney’s or guardian’s actions are binding unless their power is revoked.

When can you revoke a power?

You may revoke a power of attorney or guardianship at any time, as long as you have capacity.

If you do not have legal capacity, the Guardianship List of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) can revoke a power if it believes that your attorney or guardian is acting improperly or against your best interests. See ‘Protecting you best interests’ (link below).

How to revoke a power

If you choose to appoint a new guardian, any previous appointment is automatically revoked.

If you choose to change your enduring power of attorney (financial) or enduring power of attorney (medical treatment), you have the option to revoke all previous enduring powers when you complete a new form.

You can also revoke a power of attorney or guardianship by:

• telling the attorney or guardian that their power is withdrawn
• destroying the document and any copies
• putting it in writing or filling in a revocation form (see ‘Powers of attorney & guardianship forms’, link below).

If you put it in writing, keep the original document and give a copy to your attorney or guardian. Ask them to return their copy of the power of attorney or guardianship form.

Your power of attorney or guardianship is also revoked by:

• your death
• an attorney becoming bankrupt, losing capacity or dying
• an attorney’s resignation
• the terms of the power, for example, if it is for a set period of time it will be revoked at the end of that period
• a decision of the Guardianship List
• in the case of a general power of attorney, if you lose capacity.

Who to inform

You should tell the previous guardian or attorney that the power has been revoked. It is also a good idea to tell any organisations or people who have a copy of your forms, such as financial institutions, businesses, or health care workers.

More information

Changing or cancelling your powers – frequently asked questions

Enduring power of attorney (financial)

Enduring power of attorney (medical treatment)

Enduring power of guardianship

General power of attorney

Powers of attorney and guardianship forms

Protecting your best interests

Related publications

Securing their future

Take control

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