SB529,11,16 16(2) An agent's authority terminates when any of the following occurs:
SB529,11,1717 (a) The principal revokes the authority.
SB529,11,1818 (b) The agent dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns.
SB529,11,2119 (c) An action is filed for the dissolution or annulment of the agent's marriage
20to the principal or their legal separation, unless the power of attorney otherwise
21provides.
SB529,11,2222 (d) The power of attorney terminates.
SB529,11,2423 (e) The domestic partnership of the principal and agent under ch. 770 is
24terminated unless the power of attorney otherwise provides.
SB529,12,3
1(3) Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, an agent's authority is
2exercisable until the authority terminates under sub. (2), notwithstanding a lapse
3of time since the execution of the power of attorney.
SB529,12,8 4(4) Termination of an agent's authority or of a power of attorney is not effective
5as to the agent or another person that, without actual knowledge of the termination,
6acts in good faith under the power of attorney. An act so performed, unless otherwise
7invalid or unenforceable, binds the principal and the principal's successors in
8interest.
SB529,12,13 9(5) Incapacity of the principal of a power of attorney that is not durable does
10not revoke or terminate the power of attorney as to an agent or other person that,
11without actual knowledge of the incapacity, acts in good faith under the power of
12attorney. An act so performed, unless otherwise invalid or unenforceable, binds the
13principal and the principal's successors in interest.
SB529,12,17 14(6) The execution of a power of attorney does not revoke a power of attorney
15previously executed by the principal unless the subsequent power of attorney
16provides that the previous power of attorney is revoked or that all other powers of
17attorney are revoked.
SB529,12,20 18244.11 Coagents and successor agents. (1) A principal may designate in
19a power of attorney 2 or more persons to act as coagents. Unless the power of attorney
20otherwise provides, each coagent may exercise its authority independently.
SB529,13,2 21(2) A principal may designate in a power of attorney one or more successor
22agents to act if an agent resigns, dies, becomes incapacitated, is not qualified to serve,
23or declines to serve. A principal may grant authority to designate one or more
24successor agents to an agent or other person designated by name, office, or function.

1Unless the power of attorney otherwise provides, a successor agent is subject to all
2of the following:
SB529,13,33 (a) Has the same authority as that granted to the original agent.
SB529,13,54 (b) May not act until all predecessor agents have resigned, died, become
5incapacitated, are no longer qualified to serve, or have declined to serve.
SB529,13,9 6(3) Except as otherwise provided in the power of attorney and sub. (4), an agent
7who does not participate in or conceal a breach of fiduciary duty committed by
8another agent, including a predecessor agent, is not liable for the actions of the other
9agent.
SB529,13,15 10(4) An agent who has actual knowledge of a breach or imminent breach of
11fiduciary duty by another agent shall notify the principal and, if the principal is
12incapacitated, take any other action reasonably appropriate in the circumstances to
13safeguard the principal's best interest. An agent who fails to take action as required
14by this subsection is liable for the reasonably foreseeable damages that could have
15been avoided if the agent had notified the principal or taken other action.
SB529,13,19 16244.12 Reimbursement and compensation of agent. Except as otherwise
17provided in the power of attorney, an agent is entitled to reimbursement of any
18expenses reasonably incurred on behalf of the principal and to compensation that is
19reasonable under the circumstances.
SB529,13,23 20244.13 Agent's acceptance. Except as otherwise provided in the power of
21attorney, a person accepts appointment as an agent under a power of attorney by
22exercising authority or performing duties as an agent or by any other assertion or
23conduct indicating acceptance.
SB529,14,3
1244.14 Agent's duties. (1) Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary
2in the power of attorney, an agent who has accepted appointment shall do all of the
3following:
SB529,14,64 (a) Act in accordance with the principal's reasonable expectations to the extent
5actually known by the agent and, if those expectations are not known, in the
6principal's best interest,
SB529,14,77 (b) Act in good faith.
SB529,14,88 (c) Act only within the scope of authority granted in the power of attorney.
SB529,14,10 9(2) Except as otherwise provided in the power of attorney, an agent who has
10accepted an appointment shall do all of the following:
SB529,14,1111 (a) Act loyally for the principal's benefit.
SB529,14,1312 (b) Act so as not to create a conflict of interest that impairs the agent's ability
13to act impartially in the principal's best interest.
SB529,14,1514 (c) Act with the care, competence, and diligence ordinarily exercised by agents
15in similar circumstances.
SB529,14,1716 (d) Keep a record of all receipts, disbursements, and transactions made on
17behalf of the principal.
SB529,14,2118 (e) Cooperate with a person that has authority to make health-care decisions
19for the principal to carry out the principal's reasonable expectations to the extent
20actually known by the agent and, if those expectations are not known, act in the
21principal's best interest.
SB529,14,2422 (f) Attempt to preserve the principal's estate plan, to the extent actually known
23by the agent, if preserving the plan is consistent with the principal's best interest
24based on all relevant factors, including all of the following:
SB529,14,2525 1. The value and nature of the principal's property.
SB529,15,1
12. The principal's foreseeable obligations and need for maintenance.
SB529,15,32 3. The minimization of taxes, including income, estate, inheritance,
3generation-skipping transfer, and gift taxes.
SB529,15,54 4. Eligibility for a benefit, a program, or assistance under a statute, rule, or
5regulation.
SB529,15,7 6(3) An agent who acts in good faith is not liable to any beneficiary of the
7principal's estate plan for failure to preserve the plan.
SB529,15,11 8(4) An agent who acts with care, competence, and diligence for the best interest
9of the principal is not liable solely because the agent also benefits from the act or has
10an individual or conflicting interest in relation to the property or affairs of the
11principal.
SB529,15,16 12(5) If an agent is selected by the principal because of special skills or expertise
13possessed by the agent or in reliance on the agent's representation that the agent has
14special skills or expertise, the special skills or expertise must be considered in
15determining whether the agent has acted with care, competence, and diligence under
16the circumstances.
SB529,15,18 17(6) Absent a breach of duty to the principal, an agent is not liable if the value
18of the principal's property declines.
SB529,15,23 19(7) An agent who exercises authority to delegate to another person the
20authority granted by the principal or that engages another person on behalf of the
21principal is not liable for an act, error of judgment, or default of that person if the
22agent exercises care, competence, and diligence in selecting and monitoring the
23person.
SB529,16,3
1(8) Except as otherwise provided in the power of attorney, an agent is not
2required to disclose receipts, disbursements, or transactions conducted on behalf of
3the principal unless ordered by a court or requested by one of the following:
SB529,16,44 (a) The principal.
SB529,16,55 (b) A guardian, a conservator, or another fiduciary acting for the principal.
SB529,16,76 (c) A governmental agency having regulatory authority to protect the welfare
7of the principal.
SB529,16,98 (d) Upon the death of the principal, by the personal representative or successor
9in interest of the principal's estate.
SB529,16,13 10(9) If ordered or requested to disclose information under sub. (8), the agent
11shall comply with the request within 30 days or provide a writing or other record
12substantiating why additional time is needed and shall comply with the request
13within an additional 30 days.
SB529,16,17 14244.15 Exoneration of agent. A provision in a power of attorney relieving
15an agent of liability for breach of duty is binding on the principal and the principal's
16successors in interest except to the extent that the provision does any of the
17following:
SB529,16,2018 (1) Relieves the agent of liability for breach of duty committed dishonestly, with
19an improper motive, or with reckless indifference to the purposes of the power of
20attorney or the best interest of the principal.
SB529,16,2221 (2) Was inserted as a result of an abuse of a confidential or fiduciary
22relationship with the principal.
SB529,17,2 23244.16 Judicial relief. (1) The following persons may petition the circuit
24court of the county where the principal is present or of the county of the principal's

1legal residence to construe a power of attorney or review the agent's conduct, and
2grant appropriate relief:
SB529,17,33 (a) The principal or the agent.
SB529,17,44 (b) A guardian, conservator, or other fiduciary acting for the principal.
SB529,17,55 (c) A person authorized to make health-care decisions for the principal.
SB529,17,66 (d) The principal's spouse, parent, or descendant.
SB529,17,77 (e) The principal's domestic partner.
SB529,17,88 (f) An individual who would qualify as a presumptive heir of the principal.
SB529,17,119 (g) A person named as a beneficiary to receive any property, benefit, or
10contractual right on the principal's death or as a beneficiary of a trust created by or
11for the principal that has a financial interest in the principal's estate.
SB529,17,1312 (h) A governmental agency having regulatory authority to protect the welfare
13of the principal.
SB529,17,1514 (i) The principal's caregiver or another person that demonstrates sufficient
15interest in the principal's welfare.
SB529,17,1616 (j) A person asked to accept the power of attorney.
SB529,17,19 17(2) Upon motion by the principal, the court shall dismiss a petition filed under
18this section, unless the court finds that the principal lacks capacity to revoke the
19agent's authority or the power of attorney.
SB529,17,22 20244.17 Agent's liability. An agent who violates this chapter is liable to the
21principal or the principal's successors in interest for the amount required to do all
22of the following:
SB529,17,24 23(1) Restore the value of the principal's property to what it would have been had
24the violation not occurred.
SB529,18,2
1(2) Reimburse the principal or the principal's successors in interest for the
2attorney fees and costs paid on the agent's behalf.
SB529,18,5 3244.18 Agent's resignation; notice. Unless the power of attorney provides
4a different method for an agent's resignation, an agent may resign by giving notice
5to the principal and, if the principal is incapacitated, to any of the following:
SB529,18,7 6(1) To the guardian, if one has been appointed for the principal, and a coagent
7or successor agent.
SB529,18,8 8(2) If there is no person described in sub. (1), to any of the following:
SB529,18,99 (a) The principal's caregiver.
SB529,18,1110 (b) Another person reasonably believed by the agent to have sufficient interest
11in the principal's welfare.
SB529,18,1312 (c) A governmental agency having regulatory authority to protect the welfare
13of the principal.
SB529,18,17 14244.19 Protection of persons that accept and rely upon an
15acknowledged power of attorney.
(1) For purposes of this section and s. 244.20,
16"acknowledged" means the taking of an acknowledgment before a notarial officer
17authorized to take acknowledgements under s. 706.07.
SB529,18,20 18(2) A person that in good faith accepts an acknowledged power of attorney
19without actual knowledge that the signature is not genuine may rely upon the
20presumption under s. 244.05 that the signature is genuine.
SB529,18,22 21(3) (a) A person that in good faith accepts an acknowledged power of attorney
22without actual knowledge of any of the following may act as provided in par. (b):
SB529,18,2323 1. That the power of attorney is void, invalid, or terminated.
SB529,18,2424 2. That the purported agent's authority is void, invalid, or terminated.
SB529,18,2525 3. That the agent is exceeding or improperly exercising the agent's authority.
SB529,19,4
1(b) A person described in par. (a) may rely upon the power of attorney as if the
2power of attorney were genuine, valid, and still in effect, the agent's authority were
3genuine, valid, and still in effect, and the agent had not exceeded and had properly
4exercised the authority.
SB529,19,6 5(4) A person who is asked to accept an acknowledged power of attorney may
6request and rely upon, without further investigation, all of the following:
SB529,19,87 (a) An agent's certification under penalty of perjury of any factual matter
8concerning the principal, agent, or power of attorney.
SB529,19,109 (b) An English translation of the power of attorney if the power of attorney
10contains, in whole or in part, language other than English.
SB529,19,1311 (c) An opinion of counsel as to any matter of law concerning the power of
12attorney if the person making the request provides in a writing or other record the
13reason for the request.
SB529,19,15 14(5) An English translation or an opinion of counsel requested under this section
15must be provided at the principal's expense.
SB529,19,19 16(6) For purposes of this section, a person that conducts activities through
17employees is without actual knowledge of a fact relating to a power of attorney, a
18principal, or an agent if the employee conducting the transaction involving the power
19of attorney is without actual knowledge of the fact.
SB529,19,22 20244.20 Refusal to accept acknowledged power of attorney. (1) A person
21may, in good faith, refuse to accept an acknowledged power of attorney within 10
22business days of presentment if any of the following applies:
SB529,19,2423 (a) The person is not otherwise required to engage in a transaction with the
24principal in the same circumstances.
SB529,20,2
1(b) Engaging in a transaction with the agent or the principal in the same
2circumstances would be inconsistent with federal or state law.
SB529,20,43 (c) The person has actual knowledge of the termination of the agent's authority
4or of the power of attorney before exercise of the power of attorney.
SB529,20,65 (d) A request for a certification, a translation, or an opinion of counsel under
6s. 244.19 (4) is refused.
SB529,20,117 (e) The person believes that the power of attorney is not valid, that the agent
8does not have the authority to perform the act requested, or that the person
9presenting the power of attorney is not the agent named in the power of attorney,
10whether or not a certification, a translation, or an opinion of counsel under s. 244.19
11(4) has been requested or provided.
SB529,20,1612 (f) The person makes, or has actual knowledge that another person has made,
13a report to the designated adult at risk or elder adult at risk agency, or to a law
14enforcement agency, stating a good faith belief that the principal may be subject to
15physical or financial abuse, neglect, exploitation, or abandonment by the agent or a
16person acting for or with the agent.
SB529,20,1917 (g) The person brought, or has actual knowledge that another person has
18brought, an action under s. 244.16 for construction of a power of attorney or review
19of the agent's conduct.
Loading...
Loading...