Acting on behalf of a granter of a continuing power of attorney

As an attorney, you can act of behalf of the person that made a continuing power of attorney, under certain conditions. The right to act varies depending on what is agreed in the power of attorney and what affairs are to be managed.

Managing financial affairs does not require a mandate

The person who made the continuing power of attorney may have granted you the right to manage their financial affairs. In this case, you can act on their behalf in financial matters without a separate Suomi.fi mandate after the Digital and Population Data Services Agency has confirmed the continuing power of attorney.

Please note, that as an attorney, you cannot manage affairs in e-services, if

• there are more than one attorney, or
• the right to manage financial matters applies only to a certain part of the person’s assets, or
• the power of the attorney has been limited in some other way.

You can manage the financial affairs only in digital services that use Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. These services include the digital services of the Tax Administration and Traficom. In addition, you must be able to identify yourself to electronic services, for example with an online banking ID or a mobile certificate.  

Ask the service provider about an alternative way to handle matters

If there is more than one attorney or if the attorney’s right to manage affairs is limited to a specific part of the property, it is not possible to manage affairs electronically. Ask the organisation you wish to deal with, in which other ways you can handle matters on behalf of the person who has made a continuing power of attorney.

A mandate is required for all other matters than finances

In other than financial matters, you need a mandate from the person who has made a continuing power of attorney. These matters include, for example, health services. This mandate can be a Suomi.fi e-Authorization or another power of attorney used in the service.

Find out more under headline How can a person who has made a continuing power of attorney grant mandates?

An attorney can manage mandates in Suomi.fi e-Authorizations 

If you are the person's only attorney, you can independently manage the granter’s mandates in Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. The right to manage applies only to mandates concerning finances. 

As an attorney, you can do the following at suomi.fi/e-authorizationsOpens in a new window. 

• see the mandates that concern the finances of the person who made the continuing power of attorney 
• invalidate mandates concerning the finances of the person who made the continuing power of attorney 
• grant other parties mandates for managing the financial matters of the person who made the continuing power of attorney. 

Read the instructions on page Using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations as a person.

If you give other parties mandates for managing the financial matters of the person who made the continuing power of attorney, as an attorney, you will be responsible for how the other parties use these mandates in services.