Lasting Power of Attorney - The Facts

The topic of Powers of Attorney made its way into the headlines recently. Although it’s possible to set up a Power of Attorney without consulting a solicitor, to fully understand the implications and prevent possible problems further down the line, it’s always best to seek professional legal advice.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document which allows you to authorise someone (known as your Attorney) to make decisions on your behalf with regard to your property and financial affairs or matters concerning your health and welfare.

According to statistics provided by The Alzheimers Society there are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2015. 40,000 of those people are under 65.

If a person does not have a valid power of attorney this can create unnecessary complications and stress for loved ones and family members who may not be in a position to pay for any care bills and expenses. It is advisable to seek legal advice before drawing up a power of attorney, as there may be practical implications to consider, which a person may otherwise be unaware of.

It is important that the correct procedure for drawing up a Lasting Power of Attorney is followed otherwise the application to register it may need to be re-submitted at a cost of additional court fee(s). Also powers of attorney can be contested. A legal representative qualified in this field will be able to help you through this process and make it a much simpler procedure.

For further information and advice, contact:

Linda Heaton or Roy Dunn (Huddersfield) on 01484 483800

Hayley Meskimmon (Halifax) on 01422 339 600

Bev Mottram (Brighouse) on 01484 710571