fbpx

Lasting Power of Attorney Why should I have one?

Written by Medicine5

15th September 2020

Lasting Power of Attorney Why should I have one?

Do you have Power of Attorney for a loved one?  Do you know the role of the Power of Attorney? Do you understand the two types of Power of Attorney; Property and Affairs and Health and Welfare?  Do you know how to apply to become POA?

Photo by Leah Kelley from Pexels

There are many misconceptions around Lasting Power of Attorney. Around 75% of people think their husband/wife or partner could automatically make decisions for them if they were not able to.  They also believe, as next of kin, that their loved ones could make medical decisions and future plan for them, if they needed to.  Unfortunately, this is not correct.  Only a Power of Attorney gives your loved one, the legal ability to make decisions on your behalf should you lose mental capacity and or manage finances in your name.  Another misconception is that many people associate having Power of Attorney with older people, but this is not the case, at any time, anyone could lost their mental capacity; acquire a brain  injury, be involved in an accident, this could be short term or long term but without this legal status your loved one will be left in a position where they will need to apply to the Court of Protection for Deputyship which is a lot more costly than the LPA application of £82.

To find out how to become an attorney for Health & Welfare and have your questions answered, please clink the link below

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-be-an-attorney/lp15-how-to-be-a-health-and-welfare-attorney-web-version

 

To find out how to become an attorney for Property & Affairs and have your questions answered, please clink the link below

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-be-an-attorney/how-to-be-an-attorney-property-and-financial-decisions

I hope you have found this article useful, we always love your feedback and ideas for our future blogs.

Best wishes

Maria X