Lasting Power of Attorney

We all hope that we will be able to make our own independent decisions in the future and whilst some of us will be able to others may find that they lose the mental capacity to make such decisions.

If you make preparations for such a possibility perhaps you can ease your mind and help to avoid subsequent family conflict.

By putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place it means that should you later lose capacity to make decisions yourself the people you have appointed will be able to make decisions on your behalf.

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA):

• Property and Financial: this deals with money and property and includes things like the management of bank accounts and the selling of property.
• Health and Welfare: deals with decisions relating to matters such as medical care and care homes.

If you lose your mental capacity and do not have an LPA in place, any actions or decisions regarding your health, welfare, financial affairs or property would need to be made by an application to the Court of Protection. The Court of Protection will appoint a deputy to deal with your affairs.

As we all get a little older perhaps we should be considering whether an LPA would be appropriate for ourselves.