Lasting Powers of Attorney - How Prepared Are You?

The number of registered Lasting Powers of Attorneys (LPAs) has increased drastically in recent years to more than 6 million. This could be down to the fact that more and more people are living with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. Lasting Powers of Attorney are vital in helping people plan for the future and stay in control of their decisions.

There are various reasons why you may need someone to act on your behalf, this could be a temporary situation such as you are in hospital and need help paying bills. Or you may need to make longer-term plans, for example, if you have been diagnosed with dementia. Whatever your reasons, the most important thing is to be prepared.

There are two types of LPAs – Property and Finance and Health and Welfare. The Financial LPA enables someone to make decisions about your financial assets. Their responsibilities can include:

• Managing bank accounts
• Selling or buying property
• Paying bills
• Arranging benefits or pensions payments

The Health LPA enables someone to make decisions on your behalf regarding your day-to-day care and well-being. Their responsibilities can include:

• Personal care
• Medical treatment
• Life-sustaining treatment or end-of-life care

However, the decisions under the Health and Welfare LPA can only be taken on your behalf when you lack the mental capacity to make them yourself, for example, if you are ill, unconscious or because of the onset of a condition such as dementia.

Nevertheless, the important thing to remember is that an LPA can only be prepared while you still have the required mental capacity. Having an LPA in place will ease the burden on your relatives and make sure you’re taken care of as you would wish, without delay or outside interference.

Your Attorneys should be someone trustworthy and someone who will always act in your best interest. Here at JCP, we can act as your professional Attorneys. However, you may wish to choose trusted members of your family or friends to reduce your costs. Our advice is to plan ahead and stay in control. If you require more information about LPAs, please contact our Lifetime Planning team to discuss the best options available on law@jcpsolicitors.co.uk or 03333 208644.