Being an attorney under a Power of Attorney involves a great deal of power and responsibility so it is extremely important that the attorney is trustworthy and understands what acting as an attorney entails. The attorney is governed by the...

The Office of the Public Guardian provides free forms that you can fill out and register yourself to appoint a Lasting Power of Attorney. So, do you need a solicitor's help with Power of Attorney? Well, it really depends on...

This MyPOA Day - March 2024 blog post is some of the issues that I have to deal with on a daily basis being a power of attorney... The Scammers This morning I got a call from the lovely man...

Your mental capacity is vital to whether you can make decisions or not.  It will make the difference, for example, between whether you can even appoint your own Attorney. If you are lacking mental capacity and haven't appointed an attorney,...

There are some circumstances where your loved one will have a court appointed panel deputy or professional attorney looking after their finances.  In this situation, what are the duties of a court appointed deputy or attorney to the family? Your...

There comes a time when an Attorney will need to start using the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to gain authority to represent the Donor.  The best option is to first activate the Lasting Power of Attorney using the Government...

Caring for ageing parents or other elderly relatives is a profound responsibility that many of us will face at some point in our lives. As an attorney appointed under a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), the weight of decision-making can...

These days more people have relatives who either live abroad or have properties abroad.  So, it is essential to understand how using a Lasting Power of Attorney abroad works.  It is increasingly common for an individual to find themselves managing...

You can end the Power of Attorney (POA) yourself by revoking your Attorney as long as you have mental capacity.  It may be that you no longer need the Attorney or that the Attorney is no longer suitable, practical or...

A Lasting Power of Attorney or LPA covers decisions about your financial affairs and your health and wellbeing. It was created in 2007 under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and came into effect on 1 October 2007. This article gives...

Avoid these common mistakes when setting up your Lasting Power of Attorney! Learn from our expert, Rebecca Seeley Harris, as she shares the top 10 mistakes in Power of Attorney applications. With there currently being a 20 week delay in...

At some point in your life you might need someone to help you make decisions about your health or finances, or to act on your behalf. This beginner's guide to power of attorney will guide you through this very complex...

As an attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for Finance and Property, you may be tasked with making investments on behalf of the donor.  It may be that you happen to be a seasoned professional at investing but,...

It’s that time of year again when everyone is rushing to submit their tax returns by 31 January. But little did I know that I also had to submit a tax return for my father who has dementia and has...

Today the new Powers of Attorney Act 2023 received Royal Assent.  This will create new safeguards to protect against fraud and abuse and digitalisation will improve processing time and reduce human error. The Powers of Attorney Act fires the starting...

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has launched a campaign to highlight the need to register a power of attorney. The "Your voice. Your decision." campaign has real time stories of donor's and attorney's so you can hear people...

The OPG has recently updated the LPA digital service to include 'preferences and instructions'. The OPG has made great strides in digitising the process especially with the Use the LPA service but, this update is crucial for the attorney.  It...

Questions for the donor, what should the donor be asking when including preferences and instructions in their Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)?  Giving an attorney the authority to make decisions on your behalf is an onerous position.  When you are...

This is the first of a two-part series, looking at stopping the attorney from abusing their powers. Read the second part here which looks at how the attorney can be helped if things go wrong. Who watches the watchmen? Who...

The pressure of overseeing someone else’s finance and health decisions can be huge.