Ace the Arizona Real Estate Exam 2025 – Unlock Your Property Dreams!

An attorney in fact is a type of agent that is granted authority to act on behalf of another person in a variety of legal matters, which is typically represented in a power of attorney document. This arrangement allows the attorney in fact to perform acts on behalf of the principal, including financial decisions, real estate transactions, and other actions that require legal authority.

Universal agents have the broadest scope of authority since they can represent the principal in all matters as outlined in the power of attorney. Their ability to act extensively aligns with the role of an attorney in fact, as they can handle a wide range of activities without needing specific approval for each action.

While general agents and special agents also serve important roles in agency relationships—general agents with authority to perform a range of tasks within a specific context and special agents with authority limited to specific activities—neither has the same extensive legal power as a universal agent acting as an attorney in fact. Universal agents can make decisions and take actions as if they were the principal themselves, which is the defining characteristic of the term being discussed.