Powers of Attorney Solicitors in Warrington, Cheshire

If the time comes when you are unable to make decisions on your own, your loved ones will want to act for you, for example, handling your financial affairs or ensuring you get the best care available. They cannot do this unless there is a legal agreement or power of attorney between you. 

 

If this is not in place, your loved one will need to go through the process of applying directly to court to become your ‘deputy’ – something which can take a good deal of time and money. 

 

At DSM Legal, we have a lot of experience helping people set up powers of attorney. Our qualified solicitors will be able to talk you through all the options and find which is the best solution for your circumstances. 

 

 

There are a variety of reasons why you will want to discuss the future with a powers of attorney solicitor. You may have all your mental faculties and your health but want to hand over responsibility for some of your affairs to another person. This is usually a temporary measure which is implemented when you are not going to be around or incapacitated in some way – for example heading abroad for a reason or going into hospital for an operation. 

 

The main purpose that people tend to associate with power of attorney, however, is in later age, when you either become mentally incapacitated, through a condition such as dementia, or suffer from health problems that prevent you from carrying out your normal day to day activities and making decisions. 

 

 

If you are in full possession of your mental faculties, health and able to manage your own affairs, an Ordinary Lasting Power of Attorney will allow you to temporarily pass responsibility to a third party. 

 

A Lasting Power of Attorney, on the other hand, authorises a named person or persons to act on your behalf should you no longer be able to. There are two forms of LPA. 

 

The first deals with financial and property matters and gives your attorney the power to make decisions on your behalf in respect of this. That can include handling your bank account, making decisions on whether to sell your property and paying your bills and expenses. 

 

The second LPA covers decisions over your health and general welfare, for example, what treatment you have for a medical condition and responsibility for taking any medicine you have been prescribed. It might be implemented when you move into a nursing home if you are suffering from a condition such as Alzheimer’s, for example. 

 

 

Understanding the ramifications and getting the right wording for this legal document really needs the input of a qualified solicitor.  You may, for instance, want to include certain caveats when you hand over control to a third party.  This can include which accounts they can access or whether they can sell a property or not. It can also include your preferences concerning your health and welfare. 

 

Creating a power of attorney for when you are no longer able to make decisions yourself is important and can save your loved ones a lot of time and hassle when it comes to taking over the reins. If you want to discuss your options and get the right legal advice, contact our friendly, professional team at DSM Legal today on 01925 937070.