Legal Definitions - procuratory

The term procuratory refers to the formal authorization given by one person or entity to another, allowing the authorized individual to act on their behalf, particularly in legal, financial, or business matters. It signifies the document or act that grants this power, essentially empowering someone to represent another's interests.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of procuratory:

• Business Contract Signing: A company's CEO is on an extended sabbatical and needs to ensure that critical business operations, such as signing contracts with new suppliers, can continue without interruption. Before departing, the CEO executes a formal document granting the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) procuratory authority to sign specific types of contracts and approve expenditures up to a certain limit on behalf of the company. This document legally empowers the CFO to act in the CEO's stead for these defined tasks.

  This example illustrates procuratory as the formal written authorization that allows the CFO to legally bind the company to agreements, acting on behalf of the absent CEO.

• Property Management for an Absent Owner: An individual owns a vacation home in another country and decides to rent it out. Since they cannot be present to manage the property day-to-day, they provide a local property manager with a procuratory document. This document authorizes the manager to find tenants, collect rent, handle maintenance issues, and even initiate eviction proceedings if necessary, all on behalf of the property owner.

  Here, procuratory refers to the legal instrument that grants the property manager the power to make decisions and take actions concerning the property, representing the owner's interests in their absence.

• International Legal Representation: A client living abroad needs to resolve a legal dispute in their home country but cannot travel back for court appearances. They appoint a lawyer in their home country and provide them with a procuratory letter. This letter explicitly authorizes the lawyer to represent them in court, file necessary documents, negotiate settlements, and make decisions regarding the case, all with the full legal backing of the client.

  This demonstrates procuratory as the formal authorization that empowers the lawyer to act as the client's legal representative, making decisions and taking actions that are legally binding on the client.