Lasting
Powers of Attorney

When you’re active and healthy, it’s hard to comprehend being mentally or physically incapable of managing your own affairs.  You may feel it will ‘never happen to you’ and you will have no need for it.

Here’s hoping that’s the case but life doesn’t always go to plan. By preparing a Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), lengthy and expensive court procedures can be avoided, and you can prevent your assets being frozen and pivotal decisions being delayed at what can be a critical time of need.

An LPA can only be prepared whilst you have full capacity, so it’s vital that it is put in place, the sooner the better.

What are Lasting Powers of Attorney?

A Lasting Power of Attorney or ‘LPA’ allows for your finances and property, as well as health and welfare, to be taken care of by your designated attorney. The health and welfare LPA is often referred to as a “living Will” and can set out your personal wishes on crucial areas such as medical treatment and end of life care. The property and finance LPA allows you to designate to a trusted attorney about decisions on money, tax and bills, bank accounts, property and investments and pensions and benefits.

While it’s not pleasant to consider yourself or a partner needing an LPA, by not putting one in place you could be burdening a loved one with an incredibly stressful legal battle to oversee your affairs. Those who have taken the time to have LPAs registered have the peace of mind of knowing that the best possible decisions will be made if they are no longer able to make them themselves.