Government supports Lasting Powers of Attorney

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that people taking out Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) are given the help and protection they need.

LPAs enable you to nominate someone such as a family member or trusted associate to make decisions on your behalf if you ever lose the ability to do so yourself in the future through illnesses such as dementia.

The property and finance LPA allows you to appoint someone to look after your financial affairs and the personal welfare LPA lets you grant an attorney authority over such matters as health care and the kind of treatment you receive.

The Office of the Public Guardian, which looks after the interests of vulnerable people, has issued guidelines for businesses and the service industries on how to ensure they act correctly when dealing with people using LPAs.

The guide entitled, Supporting customers who do not make their own decisions, aims to help organisations understand what the law requires of them.

The foreword to the guide says: “Powers of attorney are a valuable tool that helps some of our country’s most vulnerable people have their affairs managed before or when they have lost mental capacity.”

LPAs should be drawn up with the help of a solicitor to ensure that they accurately express your wishes and protect your interests.

No one can be sure what the future will bring them in terms of their health, but LPAs can at least ensure that their interests are protected should the worst happen.

Please contact us if you would like more information about making a will or creating a lasting power of attorney.