attorney-in-fact
An attorney-in-fact is an agent authorized to act on behalf of another person but not necessarily authorized to practice law; e.g., a person authorized to act by a power of attorney . Therefore, an attorney-in-fact, which is not necessarily a lawyer, is a pure fiduciary : an attorney-in-fact does not require special qualifications. An attorney-in-fact can be a beneficiary’s acquaintance, in which case it is usually a friend or family member.
For example, Person A might give a power of attorney to Person B that allows Person B to manage Person A's bank accounts. In this example, Person A is the principal , and Person B is the attorney-in-fact.
[Last reviewed in January of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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