
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
This is a great place to add a tagline.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is an essential legal document which helps protect your interests during your life. Many people consider it as important as a Will and see it as one of the final pieces in the process of planning and protecting their estate.
Whilst a Will describes what happens when we die, we seldom think about who would manage our affairs, or make decisions regarding our welfare, should we not be able to do so ourselves.
There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney - one deals with property and financial affairs and the other with health and personal welfare. By using one or both these documents you can appoint whom you wish to manage your affairs and to make decisions regarding your medical treatment and welfare if and when you can no longer make decisions yourself. It’s not just in old age when this can be needed as both illness and accident can strike unexpectedly.
The simplest way of determining whether you might benefit from this document would be to ask yourself the question "if I couldn’t manage my affairs, who would have legal permission to do so for me?" This is very different from people just wanting to help. Banks, utility companies, even Local Authorities won’t speak to such people unless they have legal authority. This can only be given through a registered Lasting Power of Attorney.
We will be pleased to take you through the process of setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney and registering it with the Office of the Public Guardian.
Property & Financial Affairs
-
Opening, operating and closing bank accounts
-
Making pension decisions
-
Dealing with the donor’s tax affairs
-
Paying household expenses
-
Purchasing, leasing or selling property
-
Making any other purchases on behalf of the donor to improve their quality of life

Health and Welfare
The H&W LPA is sometimes thought of as being less important than the P&FA LPA, but this is not the case.
The H&W allows families to have input regarding decisions about long term care and residential care.
It also confers what is arguably the most significant power across both LPAs: the power to make decisions about life sustaining treatment.
-
Deciding on the donor’s place of residence
-
Making decisions about the donor’s residential care (including location)
-
Consenting to or refusing medical treatment (including life sustaining treatment)
-
Day-to-day decisions about social activities, holidays, dress, food