Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Short Guide to Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document through which you (‘the donor’) give someone you trust (‘the attorney’) the authority to make decisions on your behalf in relation to management of your money (Property and Financial Affairs) and/or your care (Health and Welfare).
We all want to be able to manage our own money and affairs for our lifetime, and considering a time when we may have lost our independence and need help with our finances and care can be daunting. It is the unknown element of the future which causes us all so much concern. However we can take control of our future by taking a number of practical steps whilst we have the appropriate capacity to do so. By far the best time for us to take such steps is when we are fit and well.
Our ability to manage can be affected by illness, accident or disability and there may come a time when we need to rely on others to deal with our finances and make decisions regarding our care. We can ensure that our wishes are followed by appointing someone we trust to make those decisions for us. This is done through a Lasting Power of Attorney. Indeed, by preparing in advance, we can lighten the burden on relatives and friends who might otherwise find making personal decisions on our behalf difficult. By appointing an ‘attorney’ to act on our behalf when we have capacity to do so we also avoid the risk of the Court appointing someone on our behalf. As experienced practitioners Couchman Hanson Solicitors can assist you in getting your affairs in order. We can help you with the paperwork, act as your certificate provider and register the documentation with the Office of the Public Guardian.
We understand that clients often work full time and need to take advice outside office hours – we can arrange evening appointments.
We also know that many clients find it difficult to come to us – so we can come to you. Contact us today on 01428 774756.
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I’m sure you have heard of Wills (see our previous article). You may even have heard about Lasting Power of Attorney. You probably know how important they are and the trouble that can ensue if you don’t make a Will or a LPA, but it may be something you keep putting off.
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A Lasting Power of Attorney (or LPA) allows you to grant legal power to someone else to make decisions about your financial situation, medical treatment and other affairs, if you lose the mental capacity to make them yourself.
