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What an Attorney can do

Once appointed, an Attorney can help make financial decisions on another person's behalf.

A Power of Attorney can appoint one Attorney or multiple Attorneys. If multiple Attorneys are appointed, depending on the Power of Attorney, they can either:

  • Act 'jointly', meaning they must act together at all times
  • Act 'jointly and severally' / 'jointly and individually', meaning they can act together or individually

Alternatively, you can consider appointing a Delegate to help you manage a specific account as set out in our Letter of Delegation form.

You can sign separate Letter of Delegation to appoint more than one Delegate to manage a specific account. Each Delegate can give us separate instructions on how to operate your account; they do not have to act jointly.

However, it's important to note that an Attorney and a Delegate may have different powers.

Please see the table below for a summary of what services we can provide to each type of third-party authorisation. Kindly note that if a Power of Attorney document contains restrictions1, we will need to comply and we may not be able to provide some services.

Authorities of an Attorney / Delegate

Banking services3

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

Enduring Power of Attorney2
Manage account holder’s account(s) when the account holder has lost mental capacity      
Obtain information about account holder's account(s) (ie account enquiry)      
Open / close Basic Banking Account with Independence with account holder
      
Make payments (ie remittance)      
Withdraw/ Deposit cash   
 
 
Deposit/ Issue cheques       
Apply internet/ mobile/ phone banking service       
Operate account via internet/ mobile / phone banking       
Apply ATM card      
Operate account using ATM card       
Order cheque book      
Order statement      
Order a replacement debit card/ PIN for the account holder      
Set up/ amend/ cancel standing instruction and AutoPay      
Change account holder’s correspondence address      
Apply for new lending (Overdraft, Loan, mortgage and Credit Card)      
Retrieve items from Safe Deposit Box

 

Subject to the signing of  ‘Appointment of Deputy of Lessee(s) of a Safe Deposit Locker’ by account holder

 

  Subject to the signing of  ‘Appointment of Deputy of Lessee(s) of a Safe Deposit Locker’ by account holder

 

Subject to the terms of the ‘Enduring Power of Attorney’

Authorities of an Attorney / Delegate

Banking services3 Manage account holder’s account(s) when the account holder has lost mental capacity

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Obtain information about account holder's account(s) (ie account enquiry)

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Open / close Basic Banking Account with Independence with account holder

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
  
Banking services3 Make payments (ie remittance)

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Withdraw/ Deposit cash 

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Deposit/ Issue cheques 

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Apply internet/ mobile/ phone banking service 

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Operate account via internet/ mobile / phone banking 

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Apply ATM card

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Operate account using ATM card 

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Order cheque book

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Order statement

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Order a replacement debit card/ PIN for the account holder

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Set up/ amend/ cancel standing instruction and AutoPay

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Change account holder’s correspondence address

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Apply for new lending (Overdraft, Loan, mortgage and Credit Card)

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

 
Enduring Power of Attorney2
 
Banking services3 Retrieve items from Safe Deposit Box

General Power of Attorney

(signed before solicitors1)

 

Subject to the signing of  ‘Appointment of Deputy of Lessee(s) of a Safe Deposit Locker’ by account holder

 

Letter of Delegation

(signed at a branch)

  Subject to the signing of  ‘Appointment of Deputy of Lessee(s) of a Safe Deposit Locker’ by account holder
Enduring Power of Attorney2

 

Subject to the terms of the ‘Enduring Power of Attorney’

We may accept Specific Power of Attorney (or Special Power of Attorney) if signed before a qualified solicitor in Hong Kong, and provided that the power given to the Attorney is clearly stated, reasonable and acceptable to us.  We may verify the power with you if we deem it necessary before accepting instructions from your Attorney.

2 We only accept an Enduring Power of Attorney that has been registered with the High Court in Hong Kong and the Donor is losing / has lost mental capacity. The services provided to the Attorney is subject to the powers and restrictions specified in the Enduring Power of Attorney.

The empty boxes in the table above denote powers that are not available to the Attorney.