power of attorney
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power of attorney
A written legal authorization that one person gives to another so that they can act on their behalf and make legally valid decisions.
Sie hat ihrem Anwalt eine Vollmacht ausgestellt, um den Vertrag zu unterzeichnen.
She issued her lawyer a power of attorney to sign the contract.
The word is made up of 'voll' (full) and 'Macht' (power). It literally means that you give someone 'full power' to act on your behalf. This origin explains the legal meaning very well.
Mit dieser Vollmacht kann mein Bruder alle meine Bankgeschäfte erledigen.
With this power of attorney, my brother can handle all my banking transactions.
A power of attorney is officially 'erteilt' (granted) or 'ausgestellt' (issued). The person who receives it 'hat' (has) or 'besitzt' (possesses) a power of attorney. These verbs are typical of legal and formal contexts.
Meine Mutter hat mir eine Vollmacht für ihre Arztbesuche erteilt.
My mother granted me a power of attorney for her doctor's appointments.
To describe the purpose of the power of attorney, you use either the preposition 'für' (for) with the accusative or an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to).
Ich brauche eine Vollmacht für die Abholung des Pakets.
I need a power of attorney to pick up the package.
'Vollmacht' (power of attorney) is a formal term from legal and administrative language. In everyday speech, people would more likely speak of an 'Erlaubnis' (permission) or 'Genehmigung' (approval/authorization) if it is not about an official document.
Ohne schriftliche Vollmacht dürfen wir Ihnen keine Auskunft geben.
Without written power of attorney, we are not allowed to give you any information.
approval / permit
'Genehmigung' and 'Vollmacht' both have to do with formal permission. A 'Genehmigung' allows someone to carry out a specific plan or project, for example to build something or hold an event. A 'Vollmacht' allows another person to act or make decisions on your behalf. Learners may confuse the words because in both cases someone is allowed to do something. The important difference is: 'Genehmigung' is about permission for a specific matter, while 'Vollmacht' is about acting for another person.
Mit der Vollmacht darf sie die Unterlagen für ihren Vater unterschreiben.
With the power of attorney, she is allowed to sign the documents for her father.
Für den Umbau der Wohnung brauchen wir eine Genehmigung vom Vermieter.
We need approval from the landlord to remodel the apartment.