Wills and probate...
Powers of Attorney Solicitors in Scunthorpe and Goole
Here at Symes Bains Broomer we can help you get your affairs in order so that your family members can provide you with support later in life if you need it.
We can help you prepare a Lasting Power of Attorney for both financial and health issues. We can also help with registering an existing Enduring Power of Attorney. If you are concerned about a loved one’s ability to manage their own finances or look after their health, we can provide assistance with applications to the Court of Protection for authorisation to provide the extra support they need.
Our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors understand that thinking about a future where you cannot make your own decisions is a frightening and unpleasant prospect. However, by putting plans in place now, you could save your family considerable heart-ache and stress later on. We want you to live with dignity, no matter what life throws at you. You can therefore trust us to help you make a Lasting Power of Attorney that is carefully tailored to suit your every need.
We are happy to create your Lasting Power of Attorney or register an Enduring Power of Attorney for a fixed price. We will discuss our costs with you at our initial meeting and provide a clear, upfront quote so that you can be confident from the beginning about how much your Power of Attorney will cost.
For more information about making a Lasting Power of Attorney or registering an Enduring Power of Attorney, get in touch by giving us a call at your local branch in Scunthorpe or Goole or by filling in our online enquiry form for a quick response.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that appoints someone you trust (an Attorney) to help you with your finances and/or make decisions about your health and welfare if you require help.
There are two types:
- Property and Financial Affairs LPA – to give someone the power to do things like pay your bills, manage your bank accounts and collect your pension
- Health and Welfare LPA – to give someone the power to make decisions about your day-to-day care, your living arrangements (e.g. if you should move into a care home), and your medical treatment
Usually, people make a Lasting Power of Attorney in case they lose their mental capacity in the future, for example, because of:
- A brain injury
- An illness such as Alzheimer’s disease
- A condition such as a stroke
However, Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Powers of Attorneys can be used whenever you need it, for example, if you are going into hospital for an operation or going overseas for a long time.
How can we help with your Power of Attorney?
Preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney
In preparing a Lasting Power of Attorney, our service involves meeting the person during an initial meeting, handling any issues of capacity with care and sensitivity at that stage. Our role would then involve:
- Helping you identify the best people to be your Attorneys
- Form filling
- Obtaining signatures
- Registering the document with the Office of the Public Guardian
Registering existing Enduring Powers of Attorney
Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) were replaced by Lasting Powers of Attorney in 2007. However, if you or a relative made an EPA before October 2007, it can still be used to make decisions about someone’s property and financial affairs. If you still have mental capacity, your EPA can be used without being registered. However, if you do not, it must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.
We can help you register an EPA if you are concerned that the person who made it has lost their mental capacity, for example, due to an illness such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Advice to Attorneys
We can provide advice and support to help you fulfil your role as an Attorney. This could include:
- Helping you assess the mental capacity of your relative (you must be careful to assess capacity for each individual decision as while your relative may not have capacity to make some decisions, they may have capacity to make others)
- Providing advice about the scope of your role set out in the Power of Attorney and your responsibilities
- Applying to the Court of Protection about decisions you do not have the power to make
Get in touch with our Power of Attorney solicitors in Scunthorpe and Goole
For more information about making a Lasting Power of Attorney or registering an Enduring Power of Attorney, get in touch by giving us a call at your local branch in Scunthorpe or Goole or by filling in our online enquiry form for a quick response.