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Powers of Attorney

Legal 500

Chambers It is really important that you consider signing a power of attorney in the same way as you consider signing a will. It is not really an answer to say that you will consider it at a later stage as you feel fine at the moment. No-one chooses to suffer a medical problem or find themselves unable to take an important decision. Having an appropriate power of attorney in place will give you peace of mind and enable your affairs to be managed for you protection and benefit. There are several powers of attorney, as follows:

A General Power of Attorney - this enables you to appoint people to look after your affairs, for example, if you are out of the country;
Trustee Act Power of Attorney - this enables you to appoint people to act for you where you own property with another or are a trustee;
Lasting Power of Attorney (Property LPA) - this is an important new power of attorney which enables you to appoint people to look after your financial and property affairs during your lifetime and even if you are unable to manage them due to old age or mental incapacity;
Lasting Power of Attorney (Welfare LPA) - this is an important new power of attorney enabling you to appoint people to help take decisions about your welfare and how you live your life even if you are unable to manage them due to old age or mental incapacity;
Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) - these can no longer be signed but those who already have them appoint people to look after their financial affairs should they be unable to manage them due to age or mental incapacity.

You may want our advice on how to put the power of attorney into effect and in particular the registration process required for each of them.

You can get more information about LPAs at the Public Guardianship website publicguardian.gov.uk

Our team, headed by Julia Law, will be able to give you detailed advice on all of the issues arising under powers of attorney. Signing a power of attorney can save you thousands of pounds and ensure that you have the right people of your choice looking after your affairs should anything happen to you.

It is important you choose your attorneys carefully. If there are any doubts then you may wish to include one of the partners here as an attorney. We have experience in acting for several hundred clients as their attorney, and are aware of the issues and will act objectively in the interests of our clients without coming under the influence of those who may not have your best interests at heart.