Lasting Power Of Attorney
It’s never a nice thought but Lasting Power of Attorney gives you peace of mind with someone you can trust.
Lasting Power Of Attorney
It’s never a nice thought, but eventually we’re all going to grow old, and with getting older almost always comes the eventual need for some sort of medical care. However, will you be able to make the right decisions if your mind is not quite so switched on as it is now?
Would you be able to make choices – perhaps vitally important ones – if you were suffering either mental or physical incapacity?
Sadly, it’s essential that we think about these questions, and who we would like to help us if a time were to come when we were unable to decide on a solution for medical or financial needs.
Having chosen a trusted friend or loved one to take care of these important matters, it’s not enough for you to just tell them what you want to happen.
Lasting Power of Attorney Documents
Putting everything in writing will make it much easier for them to fill in paperwork relating to your medical or financial matters and lasting power of attorney is the legal route to take in this case.
However, completing the documents needed requires the help of a qualified lawyer – one that will take you through the myriad of questions you may not have thought of, and will help you to complete the legal formalities.
Here at N Legal we can do all that – with a totally personal and confidential service that puts your needs first.
Who needs a Lasting Power of Attorney?
In short -everyone. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, and though it’s an awful thought, would your family know what to do if you were to be suddenly struck down with an illness, or if you were involved in an accident? Knowing you are covered for every eventuality will allow you to live your life in the now, rather than worry about the future.
Whatever you do, don’t leave it to fate – when it comes to your future decisions, the time to act is right now. The experts at N Legal have the ability to seamlessly arrange your lasting power of attorney quickly and without fuss, leaving you a plan in place for unforeseen eventualities, and letting you live your life in full without worry. If something does happen, however, you know you’ll be in the best hands – the hands of your loved ones.
Benefits of a Lasting Power of Attorney
The benefits of using N Legal to help with this often-difficult task are many.
For your family and loved ones, the benefits will be that they know your wishes and will have the power to make decision that they know you would be happy with, giving them peace of mind at emotional and difficult times.
Having a lasting power of attorney in place makes it much easier for them to assert their authority when it comes to fighting your corner when it comes to medical matters, and to fill in often complicated paperwork if, for example, funding was needed for further care.
The benefits for you are vast.
You do not have to choose just one person to make the decisions for you, so you could spread the decision making between your children, your closest friends, or even your grandchildren.
Whoever you’re closest to, and who knows your wishes when it comes to the future can be given lasting power of attorney over your affairs, making it much more likely that the money will be used wisely, and the medical decisions you wanted to make will be made if you were lacking in capacity (either mental or physical).
Do You Have a Question?
Please feel free to ask one of our solicitors by sending a message using the below form.
Speak With An Expert Today - 30 mins free
Claim your Free 30 minutes no obligation consultation.
Client Testimonials
Power of Attorney FAQs
What is mental capacity?
Mental capacity means the ability to make or communicate specific decisions at the time they need to be made. To have mental capacity you must understand the decision you need to make, why you need to make it, and the likely outcome of your decision.
Some people will be able to make decisions about some things but not others. For example, they may be able to decide what to buy for dinner, but be unable to understand and arrange their home insurance. Alternatively, their ability to make decisions may change from day to day.
Needing more time to understand or communicate doesn’t mean you lack mental capacity. For example, having dementia doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is unable to make any decisions for themselves. Where someone is having difficulty communicating a decision, an attempt should always be made to overcome those difficulties and help the person decide for themselves.
What if I don't have a power of attorney?
If you lose mental capacity to make or communicate your own decisions before setting up a power of attorney, an organisation called the Court of Protection may become involved.
What are the different types of power of attorney
There are different types of power of attorney and you can set up more than one:
Ordinary power of attorney
This covers decisions about your financial affairs and is valid while you have mental capacity. It is suitable if you need cover for a temporary period (hospital stay or holiday) or if you find it hard to get out, or you want someone to act for you.
Lasting power of attorney (LPA)
An LPA covers decisions about your financial affairs, or your health and care. It comes into effect if you lose mental capacity, or if you no longer want to make decisions for yourself. You would set up an LPA if you want to make sure you’re covered in the future.
Enduring power of attorney (EPA)
EPAs were replaced by LPAs in October 2007. However, if you made and signed an EPA before 1 October 2007, it should still be valid. An EPA covers decisions about your property and financial affairs, and it comes into effect if you lose mental capacity, or if you want someone to act on your behalf.
How much does it cost to set up a lasting power of attorney?
You will need to register the LPA before you can use it. In England and Wales, the registration fee is £82 for each LPA – so it costs £164 to register both an LPA for property and financial affairs and an LPA for health and welfare.
You may be exempt