Features of representative office in civil law

Abstract

The article analyzes the concept, features of representation as an important procedural means of representation and protection of the interests of the parties and other participants in civil proceedings.  Its essence is the procedural activities of a representative or attorney, aimed at protecting the subjective rights and legally protected interests of another person as a party or third party involved in the case, state and public interests, as well as assisting the court in comprehensive, complete and  objective clarification of the circumstances of the case in order to make a lawful and reasonable decision on the case. The author of the article propose an alternative perspective that in the science of civil law in relation to the legal nature of representation, there are two main concepts: the concept of action and the concept of legal relationship. According to the concept of action, substantiated and supported by many scientists, representation is the commission of transactions and other legal actions by one person – a representative within the powers on behalf of another person represented. The article gives a comprehensive and clear idea of the current understanding of legal relationship. The article gives consideration of representation as a unity of legal relations necessary and sufficient to achieve the purpose of representation, the internal legal relations, on the contrary, are part of the representation, although the presence of this relationship is not enough to achieve the purpose of representation. The most common case of legal representation is the representation of minors and minor children by their parents. If the child cannot exercise his/her rights independently, these rights are exercised by parents, guardians or trustee.  The basis for the emergence of a commercial representation may be a civil law contract concluded between the entrepreneur, who acts as a person represented and a commercial representative. The contract of commercial representation must be concluded in written form, and its provisions must define the set of powers of the commercial representative. If the contract does not contain a clear list and meaningful definition of the powers of the commercial representative. A commercial representative is a person who constantly and independently acts on behalf of entrepreneurs when concluding contracts in the field of entrepreneurial activity (Part 1 of Article 243 of the Civil Code) and this activity is one of the forms of entrepreneurship. Commercial representatives may be legal entities established in the manner prescribed by law, or natural persons - entrepreneurs.

The article says that commercial representative has the right to represent simultaneously two parties in the contract, if they have their consent, as well as such a possibility is provided by law. In cases of simultaneous representation of different parties in the contract, the commercial representative has the right to demand payment of remuneration, the amount of which is determined by the provisions of the contract between him and the person he represents. In addition to the payment of remuneration, the commercial representative has the right to reimbursement of expenses or losses incurred by him during the execution of the order. The most common case of representation is power of attorney. In accordance with Part 1 of Art. 244 of the Civil Code, representation, which is based on the contract, may be carried out by power of attorney. Contracts, on which the representation is based, are the subject of which is to make a transaction on behalf of the representative and in the interests of the principal – the party to the contract. Such agreements include power of attorney agreements, joint activities, agency agreement, which should indicate the obligation of the principal to issue a power of attorney to the representative. Transactions provided for in the contract, committed by a representative without a power of attorney issued by the principal, must be recognized as committed by an unauthorized person. The power of attorney, along with the general requirements for its content, should contain a reference to the contract on which such a power of attorney is based. The power of attorney is presented to the third party by the representative or is sent to the person represented directly to the third party. In the latter case, the power of attorney is sent to a third party without providing a representative and its content may indicate a specific third party with whom the representative must make a transaction. To summarize, it should be said that representation by law is a type of mandatory representation, which determines its characteristics and specific features. Legal representation is characterized by the focus on the protection in the field of material and procedural relations of the rights and interests of persons who, due to infancy, dementia or mental illness, cannot take care of themselves.