There may come a time in your life where you no longer can, or don’t wish, to organise your own affairs. Setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) enables you to plan ahead, giving one, or more people you trust the legal authority to step in and manage them for you. There are two types of LPA – one covering your health and welfare and the other your finances.
A Personal Welfare LPA allows a trusted person or people to make decisions about your healthcare and wellbeing if you can’t make them for yourself – for example if you are unconscious or because of a condition such as dementia.
The person you nominate – called an ‘Attorney’– can only make those decisions once the LPA has been registered and you are unable to make those decisions yourself. The kind of matters involved could be:
- giving or refusing consent to particular types of health care
- deciding whether you can continue to live in your own home, perhaps with help and support from social services or whether it’s more appropriate for you to move into residential care
You can give your Attorney(s) the power to make decisions about simple day-to-day aspects of your life, such as your diet, your dress and your daily routine – or far more significant healthcare matters such as whether or not you should receive ‘life-sustaining treatment’.
It really is up to you what you want to be included, and we’ll give you all the help and advice you need to tailor your LPA to make sure your wishes are followed.
A Property and Affairs LPA allows a trusted person or people to run your financial affairs including making decisions about any property you may have. As with a Personal Welfare LPA, you can choose how much power you give your ‘Attorney’.
For example, if you find it difficult to get about or talk on the telephone, it may be helpful to give someone the power to carry out tasks such as paying your bills or collecting your benefits or other income. This could also be useful if you spend a lot of time out of the country.
It may be that you want to give your ‘Attorney’ the power to sell your home or other property on your behalf – but only when you are no longer able to make decisions yourself. Whatever your circumstances, we have the skills and the experience to prepare a Lasting Power of Attorney for all your needs.
Simply call us on 01952 305 105 for more information or to arrange a convenient time to meet one of our consultants.