The Most Important Decision in Your LPA
The person you appoint as attorney-in-fact (Meyupeh Koach) under your Lasting Power of Attorney will have extraordinary authority over your life, assets, and healthcare decisions if you lose capacity. Choosing the wrong person — or failing to build in adequate safeguards — can have serious consequences.
Who Can Be Appointed
Any adult over 18 who is not legally restricted from serving can be appointed as attorney-in-fact. They cannot be: the LPA drafter (the authorised attorney who helped prepare the document), an owner or operator of a residential care facility where you reside, or a professional who is paid to provide care services to you. These restrictions prevent conflicts of interest.
Building in Safeguards
- Appoint a supervisor: The LPA can designate a second person (Memuneh) to supervise the attorney-in-fact — receiving periodic reports and being authorised to raise concerns with the General Guardian's office.
- Restrict the scope: An LPA can limit the attorney-in-fact's authority to specific areas (e.g., financial matters only, not healthcare).
- Require consent: Certain major decisions can be conditioned on the approval of another family member or the General Guardian.
Can I appoint two people as my attorney-in-fact in Israel?
Yes — Israeli law permits appointing multiple attorneys-in-fact who act together (jointly) or independently (severally). Joint authority requires both to agree on every decision, providing a check but potentially creating deadlock. Several authority allows each to act independently, which is faster but provides less oversight. A common arrangement is to require joint decisions only for major transactions while allowing each to act alone for routine matters.
