LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone (called an "attorney") to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so yourself.  You can have more than one attorney if you choose.

It provides peace of mind that your financial, medical, and personal affairs will be managed by someone you trust, should you lose the capacity to manage them yourself due to illness, injury, or old age.

Types of Lasting Power of Attorney

Property and Financial Affairs LPA

This allows your attorney to manage your finances, including:

• 
  
• Paying bills
• Managing your bank accounts
• Selling property
• Making investments
• Dealing with benefits and pensions

The Property & Financial Affairs LPA is often used for convenience as you get older, although a donor of any age can decide to use the LPA as soon as it is registered.  You can also choose to only use the LPA after you have lost mental capacity.

Health and Welfare LPA

This allows your attorney to make decisions regarding your health and personal care, including:

• Medical treatment
• Where you live
• Day-to-day care and wellbeing
• End-of-life care decisions (if you are unable to make those decisions)

Unlike a Property & Financial Affairs LPA, A Health & Welfare LPA can only be used once the donor has lost mental capacity. 

In both cases it is essential that the LPAs are registered at the Office of the Public Guardian, as without them being registered they cannot be used under any circumstances.



Lasting Power of Attorney Fees

For more information about our LPA fees, please see our LPA Fees page.

If you would like to talk about making  LPAs, please telephone Nadine Forrester or Amanda Boote at our office on 01782 599577 and we can advise on the next steps.