A lot of people believe when they have made their Will, they have done everything they can to protect their future. Unfortunately, last year Dementia overtook Cancer as the highest reason for death and so making your Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) will prevent your family from future stress and extremely costly bills should they be required.
LPA’s were created in English law under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and came into effect in October 2007. The documents allow someone you appoint to act on your behalf should you no longer be able to.
There are two types of LPA’s you need to legally provide full protection and cover: Health and welfare, and Financial and property affairs.
It is important to understand that whoever you appoint can make decisions on your behalf in the longer term, but also short term.
There are many reasons for not having mental capacity, a few include:
- Being in hospital
- Being unconscious as a result of an illness or accident
- Suffering a stroke
- Dementia
- Having a degenerative disease
When you have written your LPA’s, you need to get them registered. Remember, you cannot act on a person’s behalf without them being registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.
Why do I need to put my Lasting Powers of Attorney in place?
We are never aware of the future and what may happen and so it is vital that we protect ourselves and loved ones where we can. Here are 5 reasons you need to get your LPA’s written and registered:
- They can act immediately if they need to
- You have mental capacity right now, so can make your own decisions
- You have the choice now to choose who you want to appoint
- It can be short term or long term, through hospitalisation or long term illness
- Save money, stress and time before it is too late
How can I get my Lasting Powers of Attorney in place?
At Legacy Direct we can assist you in the process of creating your Lasting Powers of Attorney. We can write them for you, ready for you to register in your own time. Or we can register them on your behalf, so everything is done for you.
The cost to write your LPAs is only £150 per person and includes both documents you require, health and welfare, and property and finance. Get in touch today and allow us to help you through the process.
Plan and Protect for Peace of Mind.
Contact us here to book your appointment with one of our consultants.