The power of attorney is probably the most ubiquitous legal document and it is employed in almost every area of practice. Therefore, all attorneys need to be vigilant when there is a statutory change to this document.

On Dec. 15, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that made significant changes to the statutory short form power of attorney (SSFPOA), effective on June 13, 2021. As the Governor signed the new legislation, he issued a memo that he had reached an agreement with the legislature to immediately amend the new statute. This is called a chapter amendment. A full understanding of the changes will require a careful reading of both statutes.