How to Revoke a Power of Attorney in Ontario

Who Can Revoke and When

Under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992, a grantor can revoke either type of power of attorney — Continuing POA for Property or POA for Personal Care — at any time, with one absolute requirement: the grantor must be mentally capable at the moment of revocation.

Capacity for revocation follows the same thresholds as creation. To revoke a CPOA, the grantor must meet the Section 8 property capacity standard. To revoke a POAPC, they must meet the Section 47 personal care capacity standard. If there's any question about whether the grantor has the capacity to revoke, a formal capacity assessment can help document the issue — though the assessment itself costs $800 to $3,500 and isn't covered by OHIP.

An attorney cannot revoke the power of attorney. Family members cannot revoke it on the grantor's behalf (though they can apply to the court to have an attorney removed, which is a different process). Only the grantor — while mentally capable — can cancel the document.

The Revocation Process Step by Step

There's no official Ontario government revocation form. But the revocation must meet specific requirements to be legally effective:

1. Put it in writing. Verbal revocations are not recognized under the SDA. The revocation must be a written document that clearly identifies which power of attorney is being cancelled, names the attorney being removed, and states that the grantor is revoking the document.

2. Sign it before two witnesses. The same witnessing rules that apply to creating a POA apply to revoking one. Two witnesses must be present when the grantor signs. The witnesses must be at least 18, mentally capable, and cannot be the named attorney, the grantor's spouse, the grantor's child, or anyone whose property is under guardianship.

3. Deliver written notice to the former attorney. This is the step that most people miss, and it's the one that matters most. A revocation may not protect against reliance by someone who has not received notice of it. If the former attorney continues acting under the POA because they were never told it was revoked, their actions may still be legally binding against third parties.

4. Notify all relevant institutions. Send a copy of the revocation to every bank, brokerage, insurance company, government agency, and care facility that has the original POA on file. Until these institutions receive notice, they may continue accepting the former attorney's instructions.

5. Retrieve or destroy the original POA document. If the former attorney holds a copy of the original POA, request its return. While legal effectiveness depends on notice rather than physical destruction of the document, having copies floating around creates practical problems.

Revoking to Replace: Creating a New POA

In most cases, people revoke a power of attorney because they want to appoint a different attorney — not because they want to go without one entirely. If you create a replacement POA, state clearly what should happen to the earlier document and ensure the new document complies with all execution requirements.

Even if the replacement document revokes the earlier one under its terms, institutions that don't know about the change may keep accepting instructions from the old attorney until they're told otherwise.

If you're replacing due to a breakdown in trust — for example, suspected financial misuse — consider delivering the revocation notice to the former attorney before or simultaneously with executing the new POA, and notify banks immediately. This prevents any gap where the former attorney might act after learning they're being replaced.

Special Situations

Revoking a registered POA. If the Continuing POA for Property was registered at the Ontario Land Registry Office (common for real estate transactions), the revocation should also be registered. An unregistered revocation of a registered POA creates a conflict in the land registry system that can stall property transactions.

Separation or divorce. Separation or divorce is not a substitute for a written revocation. If a spouse is named as attorney and the grantor no longer wants that person to act, the grantor should revoke the POA expressly and notify the former attorney and relevant institutions.

Partial revocation. If you appointed multiple attorneys, whether one appointment can be revoked while the others remain depends on the POA's wording. Identify the intended change precisely and obtain legal advice if the document does not address partial revocation.

The Ontario Power of Attorney Kit includes revocation templates, institutional notification letters, and a checklist for ensuring that every party who needs to know about the revocation receives formal written notice.

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