{"id":2389,"date":"2026-11-12T03:26:25","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T03:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/power-of-attorney-vs-executor-bc\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T03:26:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T03:26:25","slug":"power-of-attorney-vs-executor-bc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/power-of-attorney-vs-executor-bc\/","title":{"rendered":"Power of attorney vs executor in BC: the attorney’s authority ends at death"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 11, 2026<\/p>\n

Sundeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2018, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Updated November 11, 2026: the Power of Attorney Act (ss. 3, 4, 30, 31) and the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (ss. 135, 139, 150) checked that day.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The power of attorney ends at death.<\/strong> An enduring power of attorney “terminates \u2026 if the adult who made the enduring power of attorney dies” (Power of Attorney Act s. 30(4)(b)).<\/p>\n

The executor takes over<\/strong> under the will, from the date of death. If there’s no will, an administrator is appointed by the court.<\/p>\n

Same person?<\/strong> Often the attorney is also the executor, but the two roles are separate.<\/p>\n

The two roles compared<\/a> \u00b7 Book a consultation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The lawyers who handle these estate files<\/p>\n

\"SundeepSundeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PardeepPardeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
\nAbout our lawyers<\/summary>\n
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Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> founded Lawgical Law Corporation and practises probate, estate litigation and immigration. He has represented clients in the Provincial and Supreme Courts of British Columbia, from chambers applications to contested trials.<\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> is a probate, estates and immigration lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

A power of attorney lets someone (the attorney) manage another adult’s money and property while that adult is alive. It doesn’t survive death. Under BC’s Power of Attorney Act, an enduring power of attorney terminates when the adult who made it dies. From that moment, authority over the deceased’s property belongs to the executor named in the will, or, if there’s no will, to an administrator appointed by the court. Often the same family member holds both roles, but they are legally different jobs: the attorney acts for a living person, and the executor acts for the estate under the will. Anything the former attorney does with the money after death, such as writing cheques or moving funds, needs the executor’s authority, not the power of attorney.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, a probate and estate litigation law firm with offices in Surrey<\/a>, Abbotsford<\/a> and Vancouver, BC, advises executors taking over from an attorney, and acts in disputes about how an attorney handled a parent’s money; this guide is by Sundeep S. Grewal.<\/p>\n

The two roles compared<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Attorney vs executor<\/caption>\n
<\/th>\nAttorney (power of attorney)<\/th>\nExecutor (will)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Acts for<\/td>\nA living adult<\/td>\nThe estate after death<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Authority from<\/td>\nThe power of attorney document<\/td>\nThe will, confirmed by probate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Starts<\/td>\nWhen the document says<\/td>\nAt death<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ends<\/td>\nAt death, revocation, court order or the document’s terms (s. 30(4))<\/td>\nWhen the estate is fully administered, or on removal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

After death: what the attorney can and can’t do<\/h2>\n