Most of us are able to pick out who we would be happy to have looking after our affairs if we became too ill to do it for ourselves. Fortunately, it’s also easy to make certain that those wishes are carried out.
Putting in place a Lasting Power of Attorney is a straightforward process. It allows you to appoint one or more people to be responsible for your financial affairs, your health and welfare, or to sign documents for you if you become unable to do it for yourself.
The only time to make these arrangements is while you are able to make clear choices. But many people don’t.
Nobody likes to think of themselves being in a situation where managing day-to-day life is beyond them. Many of us would prefer not to have the discussion with family and friends about what would happen afterwards and many assume that they don’t need to bother about these things until they are older.
However when no clear arrangements are made, life becomes harder than it needs to be, at a time when relatives and loved ones may already have to cope with a difficult and emotional situation. This isn’t just about older people, accidents and illnesses that leave people incapacitated can happen at any age.
The ideal time to consider a Lasting Power of Attorney is when you draft your Will. You can then review and update arrangements at key points in your life such as marriage, becoming a parent, retirement and so on.
Please contact our experienced Private Client Team to get all the advice you need on the most suitable Power of Attorney for your needs and to guide you through the process.
