Powers of Attorney
As people are living longer it is becoming increasingly necessary to organise a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney can legally organise and make decisions regarding your affairs on your behalf in the event of you becoming unable to do so.
Lasting Powers of Attorney
A Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to appoint one person or more than one person to deal with your property and financial affairs and/or make health and welfare decisions on your behalf.
Lasting Powers of Attorney are the most common form of power of attorney. They were introduced on 1 October 2007 and replaced enduring powers of attorney. However, if you or your relatives or friends have an enduring power of attorney that was made before 1 October 2007 it will still be valid.
Property & Financial
You can choose whether you want your attorney to have decision making powers immediately or if you lose capacity.
Your attorney will be able to make decisions such as selling your home and paying bills. You can decided to restrict these decisions.
Health & Welfare
Your attorney can only use this type of Power of Attorney if you no longer have mental capacity. Your attorney will be able to make decisions such as your medical care and where you should live.
General Power of Attorney
This document is normally used for 'one off events' and for a short period of time. For example, you may be in the middle of an important transaction but at the same time about to leave the country on holiday.
A general power of attorney will allow you to appoint somebody to sign documents on your behalf in your absence so that the transaction is not held up.
General powers of attorney should not be used where you intend the arrangement with your attorney to be a long standing one or you intend the arrangement to continue even if you were to lose your mental faculties. In these circumstances you should consider making a Lasting power of attorney.
Advance Directive
If you lose your ability to make decisions due to an illness, for example dementia, or an accident which results in a brain injury, you can maintain some control over your affairs with an Advance Directive.
In the absence of any instructions regarding how you wish to be treated, you may receive care which does not fit with your social or religious beliefs.
Within the document you can specify any medical treatments which you wish to refuse and clarify the circumstances under which you do not wish to receive the specified treatments.
It only allows you to refuse certain treatments; not request them. It can be used to refuse treatment even if doing so might lead to your death but it cannot be used to ask for your life to be ended.
Deputyship
If a loved one has become incapacitated and unable to look after their own affairs and does not have a Power of Attorney in place, then we can assist you with an application to become their ‘Deputy’ via the Court of Protection. Deputies are required to act in the incapacitated person’s best interests and we can offer ongoing advice in managing a person’s affairs and on applying to the Court for a Statutory Will, an order to make gifts, and the appointment of Trustees.
See our Blog on Powers of Attorney for the latest updates and current news.
Contact me now for a free no obligation discussion regarding your affairs.
Our fixed fees for Powers of Attorneys
Woods Legal offer a full and inclusive service for the fixed fees listed. From taking your initial instructions, the drafting and any subsequent changes and amendments of your Powers of attorneys, all correspondence related to the production of your documents, execution and any registration required.
Lasting Power of Attorney £350
Two Lasting Powers of Attorney £600
General Power of Attorney £200
Advance Directive £150
Deputyship Order £950