To get the best help for your situation, first answer the questions on the Preliminary questions page.
What to do
Guardianship and continuing power of attorney
- Preliminary questions
- Take these steps
- Prepare for the future with a continuing power of attorney
- Preparing a continuing power of attorney
- Content of a continuing power of attorney document
- Keeping and validating the continuing power of attorney document
- Cancelling or changing the continuing power of attorney
- Identifying the situation
- Starting to use the power of attorney
- Managing matters with a continuing power of attorney
- First prepare a property inventory and start keeping records
- How can I use the continuing power of attorney to manage the donor’s affairs?
- Are there matters that I cannot manage with a continuing power of attorney?
- Do I get a fee for serving as the donee?
- What do I do if the donor uses money carelessly?
- End of the continuing power of attorney
- Identifying the situation of a close person
- Applying for guardianship
- During the guardianship
- Guardianship ends or the guardian is replaced
- When does a child need a guardian?
- Duties of a child’s guardian
- You guardianship duties are ending
- Help with managing finances
- Applying for a guardian for yourself
- If a guardian is appointed to me
- Changing guardians or termination of guardianship
- Checklist
Managing matters with a continuing power of attorney
First prepare a property inventory and start keeping records
After the power of attorney has been validated, you must prepare an inventory of the donor’s assets and debts for the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The inventory must be prepared within three months of the validation. For instructions on preparing the property inventory, see the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.Opens in a new window.
Keep a record of the donor’s assets and debts and transactions carried out during each accounting period. Keep all bank statements and other receipts. Keep the donor’s assets separated from your own assets.
Updated: 24/1/2022
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How can I use the continuing power of attorney to manage the donor’s affairs?
When contacting the authorities and other parties to manage the donor’s affairs, you must show them the validation decision of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the continuing power of attorney document attached to it.
For example, banks, Kela and the Finnish Tax Administration can check from the Population Information System that the validation is in effect. However, they cannot view the contents of the power of attorney.
Different authorities and other actors have different instructions on how a continuing power of attorney can be used in their services. For this reason, you should always check with the parties in question how best to use the power of attorney in their services.
Updated: 18/1/2022
Are there matters that I cannot manage with a continuing power of attorney?
There are matters that you cannot manage with a continuing power of attorney. For example, you cannot sell real estate or donate the donor’s property unless the donor has specifically authorised this in the power of attorney.
There may also be situations in which you are disqualified from acting on behalf of the donor and need a substitute. If, for example, you and the donor are shareholders of the same estate, you cannot represent yourself and the donor at the same time.
Updated: 27/12/2023
Do I get a fee for serving as the donee?
You have the right to receive a reasonable compensation for serving as the donee. The donor may have determined the compensation in the power of attorney document. The compensation is paid from the donor’s funds.
Updated: 18/1/2022
What do I do if the donor uses money carelessly?
The validation of the continuing power of attorney does not remove the donor's right to manage their financial affairs with, for example, the bank. If the donor uses money carelessly despite the validation of the continuing power of attorney, you can submit a notification of a person in need of guardianship.
Read more about guardianship and the notificationOpens in a new window.
Updated: 28/4/2022