Get prepared for tomorrow by making Lasting Powers of Attorney today

Lasting Power of Attorney documents are essentially deeds that appoint Attorneys to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, one for Property and Finances and one for Health and Welfare.

A Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Finances can be used as soon as the document is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian or once the Donor, who is the person giving the power to their Attorney(s), has lost capacity, depending on which option the Donor has selected on the document. If the Lasting Power of Attorney is used by the Attorney when the Donor has mental capacity, then it must only be used with the Donor’s consent. The Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney can only be used once the Donor has lost mental capacity. Both Lasting Power of Attorney documents are governed by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Attorneys must always act in the best interests of the Donor.

Emery Johnson Astills can assist you with making Lasting Power of Attorney documents but in order to do so, you, the Donor, must have mental capacity. An organisation called Solicitors for the Elderly has warned in a recent report that Britain is facing an “incapacity crisis”. The report states that there are almost 12 million people in Britain that are of high risk of future incapacity and that they have not planned for their future to make sure that their wishes are carried out. The report states that 36% of people state they have not made any provisions for later life including writing a Will, saving for a funeral, saving for retirement and contributing to a pension.

The report states that “as a nation, we are failing to talk about how we can retain control and dignity should we lose the ability to make our own decisions” and that some of the reasons why people do not want to confront the issue of mental incapacity which may occur in the future are “feeling uncomfortable, not knowing how to start the conversation, or where to go for advice”.

At Emery Johnson Astills, we have a dedicated Private Client Team who would be more that happy  to assist you with making plans for your tomorrow, today. We can assist you with preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney and/or a Will to ensure that your wishes are carried out and you are prepared for your future.

At Emery Johnson Astills, we make every effort to make you feel comfortable with the process of making Lasting Powers of Attorney and/or a Will and we always ensure that you understand the consequences of whatever document you are signing.

Start the conversation that you have been putting off today by calling The Wills and Probate Team on 0116 2554855 or 01509 601 312.

To read the full report prepared by Solicitors for the Elderly, follow the link below:-

https://sfe.legal/the-incapacity-crisis-a-nation-unprepared/