Appointing an attorney using lasting powers of attorney allows you to choose who will look after your financial and property affairs if you lack the mental capacity to do so. Your attorney will be responsible for things like paying your bills, looking after your bank account, collecting any pension or benefits and, if necessary, selling your home.
The specialist Wills, Trusts & Tax team at Aaron & Partners can help you deal with all aspects of this process, providing clear, professional advice that will help set your mind at ease.
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Helping you choose your attorney
Your attorney can be anyone, from a friend or family member to an experienced professional. We can help you choose someone who fulfils the two key criteria for the role:
- Someone you can trust
- Someone who will be able to carry out the practical requirements of your affairs
You can appoint more than one attorney. If you want to do this, you’ll need to state whether they can make decisions separately or whether they will need to make joint decisions.
Registering your Lasting Powers of Attorney
For a lasting power of attorney to take effect, it must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. This can take up to 16 weeks, but we can help you minimise the risk of delay by ensuring all the paperwork is completed correctly.
When a lasting power of attorney is registered, you can also provide a notice of intention to ‘people who need to be told’. Our experts can outline who these people are, and make sure all relevant parties are notified.
Guiding you through the process
Our professional Wills, Trusts & Tax solicitors are there to support you at every stage. This starts with making certain that both you and your attorneys are fully aware of the implications a lasting power of attorney will have.
It’s vital that you know exactly what you are entrusting your attorneys with, and it must also be clear to your attorneys what their responsibilities are.
Health and welfare decisions
Sometimes it might be appropriate to appoint a lasting power of attorney to make decisions about health and welfare matters such as medical treatment, care and life sustaining treatment. Our experts can discuss this with you and help you decide whether it would be right for your circumstances.
Safeguarding your estate
Our solicitors can provide lasting powers of attorney advice as part of a general review of your estate planning affairs, helping you ensure everything is in order and safeguarding the future of your estate. We can also assist with the administration of your estate, along with a range of other matters concerning your will.
Key Contact
Clive Pointon
Partner | Head of Wills, Trusts & Tax | Notary Public
Clive is the Head of our Wills, Trusts & Tax team and is also a Notary public who advises on international estates, with contacts in many countries.
