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Estate & Authority · Individuals · Business owners

Special Power of Attorney

Also known as special power of attorney (SPA), SPA, or special authority.

Read the sample Special Power of Attorney

Authorize someone to act for you in one specific matter, such as selling property, a bank transaction, or a government application.

Formalities required. Validity depends on how it is signed, witnessed, notarized, or registered. Follow the execution steps exactly.

Download the free sample (Word) Fictional details, no sign-in needed.

  • Free Word sample
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  • 7 guided steps
  • Engineering draft · independent Philippine lawyer review pending
Special power of attorney (SPA) sample, Philippines: first page of the Special Power of Attorney with fictional details

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How it works

  1. Answer the guided questions

    7 short steps, in plain language. Watch the document take shape as you go. No card, and no account needed to try it.

  2. Review it and save your draft

    Read the finished wording, the warnings that apply to you, and your signing checklist. Sign in to save your draft and come back to it.

  3. Pay once and download

    Pay ₱249 through secure PayMongo checkout, then download the Word and PDF files. Revise it for 30 days at no extra charge.

What is a Special Power of Attorney?

A Special Power of Attorney is a written document in which one person gives another the authority to act, or to decide something, on their behalf in a stated matter.

What this template does. Give a named attorney-in-fact express authority for a precisely identified property, vehicle, banking, government, claim, litigation, or business matter.

Also searched as

  • SPA
  • special authority
  • power of attorney

Commonly used by

  • Individuals
  • Business owners
  • Property owners

Legal considerations

Formalities required. The written mandate must express the exact act and limits; property, litigation, banking, entity, and overseas routes require additional authority and acceptance checks.

How it is signed

Acknowledged before a notary public. You sign, then appear before a notary public who checks your identity and confirms that you signed freely (an acknowledgment). This is the form usually needed for documents that will be registered.

What it draws on

  • Civil Code on agency
  • Family Code property consent
  • 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice
  • Rules on Electronic Notarization
  • Recipient and transaction rules

The exact provisions, with links to the official text, are listed under the Philippine law behind it.

How to complete your Special Power of Attorney

The guided interview takes you through 7 steps. The document updates as you answer, and some questions appear only when your earlier answers make them relevant.

  1. Step 1

    Confirm this authority is intentional

    An SPA lets another person bind the principal for the exact acts written in it. It is not a casual permission letter or a substitute for capacity, ownership, corporate approval, court authority, or a recipient's required form.

    Up to 3 questions
  2. Step 2

    Identify the principal

    The principal is the person or organization granting authority. An entity must act through a human signatory whose authority comes from its governing records.

    Up to 11 questions
  3. Step 3

    Identify the attorney-in-fact

    Choose a trusted adult who can comply with the recipient's identity, presence, licensing, conflict, and transaction requirements.

    Up to 6 questions
  4. Step 4

    Define one transaction or matter

    Specific authority is safer and more likely to be accepted. Create separate SPAs when unrelated transactions need different powers or recipients.

    Up to 37 questions
  5. Step 5

    Choose powers and hard limits

    Only selected powers appear. Unselected acts—including gifts, loans, guarantees, inheritance decisions, unrelated property acts, and unlimited self-dealing—remain excluded.

    Up to 9 questions
  6. Step 6

    Control delegation, money, and duration

    A defined end point and an accounting trail reduce ambiguity for the principal, attorney-in-fact, and third parties.

    Up to 12 questions
  7. Step 7

    Prepare acknowledgment and recipient checks

    An SPA is ordinarily acknowledged, not sworn as an affidavit. The notarial officer—not the generator—must complete the certificate and identity findings.

    Up to 11 questions

Sample Special Power of Attorney

This is how the opening of a finished document reads. Every name, address, and amount is invented. Your own document is built from your answers, so its wording changes with them.

5 clauses, about 818 words in the complete sample.

SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY

Republic of the Philippines · Real-property strict-dominion route · Template v0.2.0

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )

MAKATI CITY ) S.S.

APPOINTMENT FOR A DEFINED MATTER

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS: I, Maria Elena Santos, Filipino citizen, of legal age, single, and residing at 100 Ayala Avenue, Makati City 1226, hereby appoint Roberto Santos, Filipino citizen, of legal age, single, and residing at 18 Jupiter Street, Makati City 1209, as Attorney-in-Fact solely for the matter and powers stated below. The Attorney-in-Fact was selected because: Brother trusted to complete the identified sale while the principal is working outside Metro Manila.

The purpose is: Sell the specifically identified Makati condominium unit to a qualified buyer within the written minimum price and closing limits

SPECIAL AND EXPRESS AUTHORITY

1. Subject matter. The Attorney-in-Fact is expressly authorized to sell the specific property identified by CCT No. 123456 at Registry of Deeds for Makati City: Unit 12A, Example Condominium, Makati City, with an area of 68 square meters and the appurtenant interest described in CCT No. 123456; for not less than PHP 8,500,000.00.

2. The Attorney-in-Fact may negotiate only the terms of the defined matter and only within every limit written in this instrument.

3. The Attorney-in-Fact may sign and deliver only the documents expressly necessary to complete the defined matter.

4. The Attorney-in-Fact may submit genuine supporting records and receive official copies, notices, and receipts concerning the defined matter.

5. The Attorney-in-Fact may appear before the named recipient and the government or private offices directly necessary to the defined matter.

6. The Attorney-in-Fact may pay documented official fees, taxes, and charges from funds provided for that purpose, within the expense limit below.

The purchase price shall be paid directly to the Principal, by manager's check payable to the Principal or by transfer to the Principal's own bank account. The Attorney-in-Fact may not receive the price or acknowledge its receipt in the deed of sale or any other document.

The Attorney-in-Fact has no authority to receive, encash, redirect, or acknowledge money or property for the Principal.

The Attorney-in-Fact may not act as buyer, seller, lender, borrower, transferee, beneficiary, or other counterparty, and may not prefer personal interests over the Principal's interests.

LIMITATIONS AND DUTIES

This instrument grants only the express powers above. It does not authorize any unrelated act of administration or strict dominion; any gift or gratuitous waiver; any loan or borrowing not expressly described; any guaranty or suretyship; entry into a partnership; acceptance or repudiation of an inheritance; waiver of an appeal, venue, prescription, or claim; confession of judgment; or creation or conveyance of any real right not specifically identified above.

Substitution and delegation are prohibited.

Compensation: none. Reimbursement is limited to genuine, documented, necessary expenses not exceeding PHP 150,000.00 in aggregate.

The Attorney-in-Fact must act within this written authority, preserve original records and receipts, avoid conflicts, render a complete account, and promptly deliver everything received for the Principal. Specific instructions: Provide copies of every signed document, official receipt, and transaction record within five business days, and promptly deliver all money or property received.

Effectivity and termination: this authority begins only after valid execution and acknowledgment of this complete instrument and ends automatically upon complete performance of the defined matter, and in all cases is subject to earlier revocation and the other causes of extinguishment provided by law. The Principal will give any revocation notice to Registry of Deeds for Makati City and the identified buyer. Because this power deals with land, the Principal will also register any revocation with Registry of Deeds for Makati City, in the same way as this instrument (P.D. No. 1529, Sec. 64). Revocation does not excuse notice reasonably needed to protect third persons who were informed of the authority.

RATIFICATION WITHIN THE WRITTEN SCOPE

The Principal ratifies only lawful acts actually performed by the Attorney-in-Fact within the express terms, conditions, amounts, subject matter, duration, and recipient limits of this instrument. No conduct outside that scope is approved in advance, and any later ratification must be knowing and legally effective.

The rest of the document covers

  • ACKNOWLEDGMENT — FOR THE AUTHORIZED OFFICER TO COMPLETE
Free Word sampleThe complete sample above, with its signing checklist and source record. Fictional details, no sign-in.
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  • Legal source record

    The Philippine statutes, rules, and provisions behind the template, with the date each was last checked.

Read the guide first.

Before you start.

What is a special power of attorney?
A special power of attorney (SPA) is written authority that lets someone you trust act in your name for specific acts. Under the Civil Code, acts such as selling or buying real property, mortgaging it, leasing it for more than a year, borrowing or lending money, and making gifts need a special power; a general power covers only ordinary acts of administration.
How do I make a special power of attorney?
Name the person giving the authority, the person receiving it, and exactly which acts are allowed, such as selling one described property. Then sign it before a notary public, who notarizes it by acknowledgment after checking your ID. If you are abroad, you can sign it at a Philippine embassy or consulate, or before a local notary and then have it apostilled.
What are the requirements for a special power of attorney?
Usually the SPA itself, naming the parties and the specific acts, valid government IDs, and a notary's acknowledgment. A sale of land through an agent needs the authority in writing, or the sale is void (Civil Code Art. 1874). The bank, agency, or buyer relying on it may want its own form, so ask them first.
How much is the Special Power of Attorney?
₱249, paid once. The interview and live preview are free, and the price covers the Word and PDF files, 30 days of revisions, and your account copy. There is no subscription. See all pricing →
How long does it take?
The guided interview has 7 steps and up to 89 questions. Some questions only appear when they apply to your situation, so you may answer fewer. You can read the document as it builds, and sign in to save a draft and finish later.
Do I need a notary?
Acknowledged before a notary public. You sign, then appear before a notary public who checks your identity and confirms that you signed freely (an acknowledgment). This is the form usually needed for documents that will be registered. Your signing checklist lists the exact steps for your version.
Is it reviewed by a lawyer?
This template’s current status is: Engineering draft · independent Philippine lawyer review pending. LAW.PH is legal self-help software, not a law firm, and will not describe a document as lawyer-reviewed until an independent Philippine lawyer has approved this exact version.
Is there a free template?
Yes. The sample on this page is free to read and to download as an editable Word file, with no sign-in. It uses fictional names, dates, and amounts, so replace every one. The paid version is built from your own answers, checks them as you go, and includes the signing checklist for your exact situation. Download the free sample (.docx)
Can I change it after I buy it?
Yes. For 30 days you can create a separate revision draft, update your answers, and download the revised files at no extra charge. The version you originally bought is preserved unchanged.
Which law does it follow?
It is drafted under Philippine law and relies on 10 official sources, each listed above with the provisions used and the date it was last checked.
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