Also known as: co-agent · coagent · coagents · joint agents
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
Persons whom a principal designates under a power of attorney to serve as agents alongside one another. Each coagent may exercise authority independently unless the instrument requires them to act jointly.
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Cecilia Cabrera signed a hospital form while undergoing treatment and designated her nurse colleague Corinne Cho together with the assigned social worker as coagents to handle patient billing for her oncology practice during incapacity. The social worker assigned at the time of execution and throughout the incapacity period issued billing directives to a vendor. The vendor refused the directives on the ground that only expressly named individuals could act.
Charlotte Chung executed a power of attorney form that named two coagents in the special instructions section without any requirement that they act together. One coagent negotiated and signed a grain sales contract with a cooperative while the other coagent handled separate equipment purchases. The cooperative accepted the contract from the first coagent without requiring the second coagent's signature or approval.
No. Unless the power of attorney expressly requires joint action, each coagent may exercise authority independently.
Supporting sources
A principal may name more than one agent by designating coagents in the special instructions section of the statutory form.
Supporting sources