What is a lasting power of attorney?
There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney: one for financial decisions and one for health and welfare decisions. You can choose to have just one type, or both.
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) are a legal document that gives someone else the power to make decisions on your behalf, should you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself. You can appoint one or more people to be your attorney, and you can specify what kind of decisions they can make for you. LPAs can cover property and financial affairs, or health and welfare decisions.
Making a Lasting Power of Attorney is a complex process, so it's important to get professional advice from a solicitor before proceeding. They can help you understand the implications and ensure that everything is done correctly.
There are two types of Powers of Attorney in the UK: Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA).
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) are a legal document that gives someone else the power to make decisions on your behalf, should you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself. You can appoint one or more people to be your attorney, and you can specify what kind of decisions they can make for you. LPAs can cover property and financial affairs, or health and welfare decisions.
Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) were replaced by LPAs in 2007, so if you have an EPA it will still be valid, but you can no longer make one. An EPA is usable by your attorneys whilst you have capacity, but if the attorneys feels that you are losing or have lost capacity, they cannot continue to use the EPA without it being registered at the Office of the Public Guardian. We can assist attorneys with this process.
