Peace of mind, knowing your affairs will be taken care of by the person you choose.
Few of us can know what the future holds. Should something happen to leave you unable to manage your affairs, it’s a great comfort to know you’ve appointed someone who can step in and help. Someone who has your best interests at heart.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows decisions to be made on your behalf by a person, or people, of your choice – known as your attorneys.
Depending on your circumstances, an attorney can either support you temporarily, perhaps if you’re incapacitated following an operation, or permanently, for instance in later years should your health decline.
Do I need a Power of Attorney?
To some extent that depends on you and the state of your health. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA or POA) can be put in place as a precautionary measure, or if you have more specific or imminent reasons, perhaps an ongoing illness or condition.
Should you become incapacitated without having a Lasting Power of Attorney in place, anyone wanting to help you may experience problems, delays and the expense of having to apply for a Court Order. In addition, an LPA will ensure you’re assisted by the person you choose, which may not be the person applying.
Types of Power of Attorney
There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney, one for finance and property, the other for health and welfare.
Property & Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney
This enables your attorney, sometimes known as a Financial Power of Attorney, to manage your financial affairs. Looking after everything from small things like paying bills on your behalf, to managing your bank accounts and investments, speaking to companies or making payments, and even selling your property on your behalf.
Health & Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney
Also known as a Medical Power of Attorney, this enables you to set out how you would like to be cared for should you lose your mental capacity or are unable to communicate your wishes.
It covers medical treatment, where you will live, what sort of care you may receive, and day-to-day decisions about your welfare.
Enduring Powers of Attorney
These were the forerunner to today’s Lasting Powers of Attorney. If you or a loved one has an EPA in place, and there comes a time when it needs to be used, we can help you to register it, to allow you to act under it on behalf of your relative or friend.
The registration procedure involves notification of all nearest relatives and must be followed correctly to ensure registration can be completed as quickly as possible.
How we can help
A member of our friendly Personal Law team can explain these important documents to you in more detail, and how they work in practice. They can also advise you on who to appoint, and guide your attorney on how they should act.
If you’re looking for a Power of Attorney solicitor in Newbury, Hungerford, Marlborough or in fact anywhere in the UK, we’re here to help.
Need help? Contact us today.
Our Powers of Attorney Team
Information Resources
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