Signing Over Authority
La. C.C. art. 2989 — a mandate, Louisiana's power of attorney, gives another person authority to act
A mandate is a contract by which the principal gives the mandatary authority to transact one or more affairs. It needs no particular form, except that a mandate for an act the law requires in a certain form must be in that form.
- Making a gift, or accepting or renouncing a succession.
- Borrowing, forgiving a debt, or acting as a surety, and signing promissory notes.
- Settling a dispute or sending it to arbitration.
- Making health care decisions, such as surgery, nursing home residency and medication.
- Limiting the principal's contact with close relatives or others with strong ties.
Each of those powers has to be given expressly. The mandate ends at the death of the principal or the mandatary, the mandatary's interdiction, or when a curator qualifies after the principal's interdiction. A revocation of a recorded mandate does not bind those relying on the public records until it is recorded.
Sources for this section (5)
- La. C.C. art. 2989 — Mandate defined
- La. C.C. art. 2993 — Form
- La. C.C. art. 2997 — Express authority required
- La. C.C. art. 3024 — Termination of the mandate and of the mandatary's authority
- La. C.C. art. 3027 — Reliance on public records
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Louisiana attorney.