Welcome back to the POA’s desk.
In the last episode we covered the most common reasons POAs get rejected. In this episode we cover the other side of the lifecycle — how to cancel or revoke a POA that is no longer needed, or one that has been misused.
A POA does not last forever by default. Many have stated expiry dates. Some are for a single transaction and end when that transaction completes. Others continue indefinitely until the principal cancels them. Understanding which type you have, and how to end it cleanly, matters because an active POA is an active authorisation. Until it is formally revoked, the attorney can keep using it.
Start with the basics. There are several ways a POA can end.
It expires by its own terms. The POA stated a validity period of one year. The year passes. The POA is no longer valid. No action required from the principal.
It ends when the transaction completes. The POA was issued for a specific property sale. The sale completes. The POA’s purpose is fulfilled. It cannot be re-used for another transaction.
The principal cancels it. The principal decides to end the POA before it expires naturally. This requires formal revocation through the notary.
The principal dies. A POA generally ends on the death of the principal. The attorney can no longer act under it. New documents are needed for the estate.
The attorney becomes ineligible. If the attorney loses capacity, dies, or has their authorisation revoked by an external authority, the POA ends.
Of these, the most common scenario we handle is the principal cancelling a POA before its natural expiry. The reasons vary. The principal no longer trusts the attorney. The principal moves to the UAE and can act for themselves. The principal wants to change attorneys. The relationship has changed. Whatever the reason, the cancellation process is the same.
The principal must issue a formal revocation document. This is itself a notarised document, drafted in English and Arabic, identifying the original POA and stating that it is revoked. The revocation is registered with the same notary system that registered the original POA. Once registered, the POA is officially cancelled.
The revocation must also be communicated. The attorney should be notified that the POA has been revoked. Any authority where the POA was being used — the Dubai Land Department, the bank, the developer — should be informed. The receiving authorities then update their records, and any future attempt by the attorney to use the POA will be blocked.
A common mistake we see. Principals assume that telling the attorney is enough. It is not. A POA is a registered document. It must be formally revoked through the notary system to be officially cancelled. Telling the attorney verbally, or by message, does not revoke the document. The attorney could still legally act under it until the formal revocation is registered.
Another common mistake. Principals delay cancellation when a relationship has soured. They think the attorney would not misuse the POA. Sometimes that is correct. Sometimes it is not. The risk of an active POA in the hands of someone you no longer trust is real, and the cost of revocation is small compared to the cost of misuse.
A more serious scenario. The attorney has already misused the POA. They have signed something the principal did not authorise. They have transferred funds without permission. They have entered into commitments the principal does not stand behind. In these cases, revocation is urgent, but it may not be enough on its own. The principal may also need legal action to unwind the unauthorised transactions, plus criminal complaints if fraud is involved. Revocation stops future misuse. It does not always reverse past misuse.
At POAS the revocation fee is fixed. We draft the revocation document, register it with the notary system, and provide the principal with a notarised copy that can be presented to authorities to confirm the cancellation. The process typically takes one to three days from instruction to delivery.
If the original POA was issued from overseas, the revocation can usually be handled remotely as well. The same remote notarisation route that allowed the POA to be issued allows it to be cancelled.
In Episode 16 we cover POAs for overseas principals — the practical workflow when the person granting the POA is not in the UAE.
I’m Patrick. Thanks for joining me at the POA’s desk.