A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document whereby one person grants another person the authority to make decisions on their behalf. There are different types of LPA for financial decisions and health and care decisions.
A LPA for financial decisions can be used to allow someone to make decisions for you even while you still have mental capacity. These decisions may include such things as buying and selling property, investing money and paying bills.
A LPA for health is different in that it only comes into effect if you have lost the capacity to make decisions for yourself. It will allow someone you trust to make decisions such as where you live, your medical care, what you eat and what kind of activities you should take part in. You can also choose to give your attorney(s) power to make decisions about life-sustaining treatment on your behalf.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is only valid if you have not been put under pressure to create it, and if you have the mental capacity to understand the implications of the document.
Why do I need a LPA?
There is a common misconception that LPAs are just for the elderly. What would happen if you suddenly became ill or had an accident and you could no longer manage your affairs or make decisions? This could happen to any of us at any age. Without a LPA even your spouse wouldn’t be able to do your banking or speak to anyone about your bills and may not be able to have any say in your medical treatment or care.
Don’t think that you would suddenly give up your decision making powers to someone else – your attorney(s) would only be able to make decisions for you if you had lost the capacity to make decisions for yourself.
Before your LPA can be used it must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. If the forms are not completed correctly the Office of the Public Guardian will be unable to register your LPA and your LPA will not be valid.
Our solicitors understand the process of making and registering a LPA and will make sure that your wishes are followed and that your LPA will be valid if the time comes when you need to use it. We will explain the process of making your LPA in a way that is easy to understand and make the process simple.
We can:
- Complete the LPA forms on your behalf and make sure your LPA is valid.
- Register your LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian.
- Advise on the best people to act on your behalf.
- Advise your attorneys on their duties and responsibilities.
- Provide you with reassurance that the right people will be able to make decisions on your behalf if the time comes when you are unable to do this for yourself.
Why choose us:
- We have dealt with hundreds of LPAs for clients and have expert knowledge in advising on the creation of Lasting Powers of Attorney, ensuring the LPAs are correctly registered and advising attorneys on their powers and duties in acting as your attorney.
- We offer competitive fixed fees for the creation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney.
- We will ensure that your LPA is completed and registered promptly to ensure that it is effective when your attorney(s) need to use the LPA to make decisions.
- We can advise on your eligibility to apply for an exemption or reduction of the LPA registration fee.
