A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a document which allows you to appoint someone else to deal with your affairs on your behalf, if you have lost the mental capacity and/or physical ability to deal with your affairs yourself.
The difference between a Lasting Power of Attorney and a straightforward general Power of Attorney is that a Lasting Power of Attorney continues to be valid, even if you lose your mental capacity. It is, therefore, an extremely important document to have in place, even if your attorneys never need to use it.
An LPA is also a useful and powerful document for people of all ages and it is important that you know and trust the people you choose to be your attorney or attorneys implicitly.
Many people feel that having a Lasting Power of Attorney in place relinquishes their rights but in fact in the event that you lose your capacity you are ensuring that your affairs are looked after by someone you trust and are comfortable with whilst you are still able to make that choice.
It is always recommended that you consider the benefits of having an LPA in place and speak to an experienced solicitor about how LPAs work and any particular issues you need to account for.
Our lifetime planning solicitors in Hammersmith can provide you with invaluable advice about the way in which Lasting Powers of Attorney work and will assist with drafting and registering the documents. We can also advise anyone acting as an attorney under an LPA and act as professional attorneys where required.
If you need to support a loved one who has already lost mental capacity, we can assist you with applying to the Court of Protection for the legal authority you need.
Please click here for more information from the gov.uk website.
For further information about Powers of Attorney, please contact Outi Hubbard, Ana Gonzalez or Sumer Rana.
Our solicitors can help you make a Lasting Power of Attorney so you have peace of mind that your affairs and needs will be dealt with effectively if you ever lose mental capacity in future. We can guide you through the whole process, including advice on choosing your attorney or attorney, including appointing a professional attorney where appropriate.
There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney – Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare and Property and Financial Affairs LPAs.
A Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney empowers your attorney or attorneys to make decisions about your medical treatment, care needs and general day-to-day care, including issues such as your diet.
A Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney allows someone to make decisions about your home and financial affairs, including dealing with your income and paying bills and other outgoings.
A Lasting Power of Attorney cannot be used by the attorneys until they are registered at the Office of the Public Guardian, which is something our team will be happy to assist with. We can also guide you through the full range of duties you need to carry out as an attorney, including advice on the decisions you need to make, agreeing decisions with other attorneys where required and producing annual accounts.
Where there is nobody suitable who is willing and/or able to act as an attorney, our solicitors can take on this role for you. We can also act as an attorney where there are complex matters that will need to be dealt with and you would like the reassurance of a trained legal professional managing your affairs.
Our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors can act as sole attorneys or as joint attorneys with a friend or family member who may need additional support in making decisions for you.
For more Lasting Powers of Attorney guidance from our friendly, expert solicitors in West London, please contact us today. We can help you with everything you need with lasting power of attorney guidelines and filling in the lasting power of attorney form. Outi Hubbard on oh@hpwsolicitors.co.uk, Ana Gonzalez on ag@hpwsolicitors.co.uk, or Sumer Rana on sr@hpwsolicitors.co.uk, or get in touch using our simple contact form.
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