Tags – How to Choose Your Lasting Power of Attorney
When you are no longer able to make decisions for yourself, who will speak for you?
This is a question that many people do not want to think about, but it is important to have an answer ready.
When you lose mental capacity, a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a document that allows you to appoint someone else to make decisions on your behalf.
However, making the decision to appoint a LPA is not an easy one. It’s something that should only be done if you are absolutely sure that it’s the right thing for you and your loved ones.
And, if you are thinking about appointing an LPA, it’s important to understand the different types of LPAs and how they work.
In this blog, we will discuss the different types of LPAs and offer some tips for choosing the right one for you.
Types of LPAs
There are two types of lasting powers of attorney:
The type of LPA that you choose will depend on the decisions that you want your appointed representative to be able to make on your behalf.
For instance, if you appoint an LPA for health and welfare, they will be able to make decisions about things such as medical treatment and care.
On the other hand, if you appoint an LPA for property and financial affairs, they will be able to manage your finances and property.
Choosing a Lasting Power of Attorney
When choosing a LPA, it’s important to think about who you trust implicitly to make decisions on your behalf.
As such, this person should be someone who you know will act in your best interests, even if it is not what you would have wanted them to do; they need to be trusted to make wise decisions about your finances and property if you are unable to do so yourself.
So, it’s a good idea that the person you choose as your LPA understands the legal system, and is willing to take on the responsibility of managing your affairs for an extended period of time.
Moreover, when appointing a lasting power of attorney, it’s also important to consider what will happen if they become incapacitated or pass away before you do? If this happens, it could mean that there will not be anyone in place with the ability or willingness to manage your affairs.
Consequently, this could lead to issues with regards to paying bills and ensuring that other people are able to access your property or funds.
To summarise, here are 5 top tips:
- Make sure you have the right number of attorneys
- Check they are happy to be appointed and give them sufficient information on the decisions they may need to make
- Choose those with appropriate skills; i.e. can they manage their own finances?
- Ensure they understand your wishes
- Choose those you trust
Final Thoughts
If you are considering appointing a lasting power of attorney, it is important to understand why they may be needed and how they work.
By choosing the right lasting power of attorney for you, you can ensure that your affairs will continue to be managed if something were to happen that prevented you from doing so yourself.
Get in touch today to find out more.
In the meantime, take a look at our Court of Protection Solicitors.
You may also like: