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Powers of Attorney in the news

There has been a lot of coverage of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) in the media recently.
 
An LPA enables you to appoint one or more people who you trust to look after your affairs if you become unable to. They can act even if you lose mental capacity. Without such a document if you lose capacity your family do not have an automatic right to be able to deal with your property or money - which can cause additional worries. They would have to apply to the Court of Protection; it will take several months before they could act for you and is also expensive.
 
It’s not about people taking over – far from it; it’s all about you choosing the people you trust - enabling them to help you. It’s not just for the elderly either; sadly, many younger people have accidents or illnesses which affect their capacity.
 
As well as being extremely useful documents if you should become mentally incapacitated, registered LPAs for property and financial affairs can also be used if you are physically incapacitated, or even just because you are abroad for an extended holiday.
 
There is also another type of LPA to appoint people to make decisions on health and welfare matters - this can only be used if you lose mental capacity.
 
You must have mental capacity when you make a Lasting Power of Attorney - so it is better done when there is no doubt about that. It can then be stored away and used in the future if necessary.  Hopefully it will never be needed, but don’t leave it to chance!
 
The New Year is an ideal time to ensure your affairs are in order by setting up this document.