Seattle, WA estates & probate attorney Mercedes C. Vargas Aguirre explains how you can revoke a DPOA and assign someone else. She explains that when someone signs a durable power of attorney, they may choose a single agent, but she always recommends naming more than one. If the chosen agent does not want to take on the role, and no successor is listed, it effectively leaves the person without a valid power of attorney. In that situation, they would have to rely on Washington law, which typically requires obtaining a guardianship. That process involves court oversight, reporting requirements, and significant expense—complications that can easily be avoided by naming a successor agent.

She notes that a successor could be a family member, a child, or even a trusted friend. The key is to appoint someone reliable, not necessarily a relative. If the document ever needs to be revoked, the process is straightforward: the individual can execute a new power of attorney that expressly revokes the previous one and names new agents.

She also emphasizes that if the prior power of attorney has already been used at banks or other institutions, those entities should be notified of the change. Once the new document is signed and revokes prior documents, former agents no longer have authority unless they are named again in the updated version. And if the original power of attorney was recorded, the new one must also be recorded so the public record clearly reflects which agents are authorized to act.