what are the liabilities of being an attorney in fact 
as an attorney in fact you are legally responsible for carrying out the duties and responsibilities assigned to you by the principal this means that you have a legal obligation to act in the best interests of the principal and to follow the instructions and guidelines set forth in the power of attorney if you fail to fulfill your duties as an attorney in fact you may be held liable for any damages or losses that result from your actions or inactions for example if you make a financial decision on behalf of the principal that results in a loss of money you may be held financially responsible for that loss 14additionally you may be held liable for any actions you take on behalf of the principal that are outside the scope of the power of attorney for example if the power of attorney specifically states that you are not authorized to sell the principal s property but you go ahead and sell it anyway you could be held liable for any losses that the principal incurs as a result of the sale to avoid potential liability it s important to carefully review the power of attorney and make sure you fully understand your responsibilities as an attorney in fact you should also seek legal guidance if you have any questions or concerns about your duties as an attorney in fact the bottom linean attorney in fact is someone who is granted authority to make decisions on behalf of another person known as the principal such authority is granted via a written document providing power of attorney to the attorney in fact power of attorney can be either general or limited to certain specified transactions and topics typically it only lapses if the principal dies becomes incapacitated or consciously revokes it through a written witnessed and notarized notice however if it is a durable power of attorney the attorney in fact will continue to serve if the principal becomes incapacitated making a decision to appoint an attorney in fact should not be done lightly and the person so designated should be a person or persons you can appoint more than one whom you trust family members and close friends are popular choices if you appoint more than one be sure to specify if decisions can be made by majority vote or must be unanimous 