Lasting Power of Attorney Solicitors Near Me

Expert local Lasting Power of Attorney Solicitors East Yorkshire and the York area

Lasting Power of Attorney Solicitors Near Me

A Lasting Power of Attorney or LPA is a legal document giving authority to someone to deal with matters on your behalf in the event that you ever lost the ability to do this yourself. If you are thinking of making an LPA, you may be wondering where to find Lasting Power of Attorney Solicitors near me in East Yorkshire and the York area.

At Lockings Solicitors, we are a long-established and well-respected local firm, taking pride in serving the people of Beverley, Hull, York and the surrounding area. We have solicitors at our offices who specialise in dealing with Lasting Powers of Attorney who will be happy to get to know your situation and take the time to explain to you how an LPA works.

They will ensure that you understand the implications of signing an LPA and will answer any questions you have, as well as providing advice on issues such as choosing an attorney and what authority to give them.

We have particular expertise in dealing with older clients, including where mental capacity is an issue.

If you need advice and guidance from a local Lasting Powers of Attorney solicitor, we will be happy to help you. We offer a free initial chat so that you can ask us questions and discuss what your needs are. You can ring us on 01482 300 200, email us at welcome@lockings.co.uk or fill in our Free Online Enquiry and we will call you back promptly.

Why is it important to make a Lasting Power of Attorney?

By making a Lasting Power of Attorney, you have the reassurance of knowing that, should it be necessary, your chosen representative could step in to deal with your affairs on your behalf. A registered LPA will enable them to start managing your affairs straightaway, avoiding the difficulties that could arise if there was a period of time when no-one could deal with tasks such as paying bills.

An LPA gives you the opportunity to choose the right person to help you if the time comes that you need this. It lasts indefinitely, with no need to renew it.

You can have the LPA tailored to suit your exact requirements, setting out instructions to your attorney and specifying the extent of the authority that you are giving to them.

An LPA can help your family deal with matters promptly on your behalf in a difficult situation. Without an LPA, they could struggle to deal with matters such as finances and care and it may even become a cause of conflict.

They would need to choose someone to apply to the Court of Protection to obtain a deputyship order. The process takes months however and in the meantime, no-one would be able to deal with your finances on your behalf or make decisions for you.

Deputyship is also considerably more expensive than putting an LPA in place. As well as the application being more expensive, it is usually a requirement that an annual security bond or insurance policy is purchased and an annual supervision fee paid.

A deputy has more ongoing supervision than an attorney and it is generally a more expensive and demanding process than executing, registering and using an LPA. If you choose to make an LPA, you will generally only pay your solicitor’s fee, which at Lockings is usually a fixed cost, plus a small fee to the Office of the Public Guardian to register the document.

An LPA also gives you the opportunity to name replacement attorneys. This means that if it was ever necessary to use the LPA but your first choice of attorney did not feel able to take on the role or they were unable to do so, the replacement attorney could act on your behalf instead.

What authority is granted under a Lasting Power of Attorney?

There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, granting authority in different areas:

• Property and financial affairs; and
• Health and welfare

You can make both types of LPA and choose the same or different attorneys for each.

Property and financial affairs Lasting Power of Attorney

A property and financial affairs LPA can give your attorney the authority to deal with issues such as:

• Looking after your home, to include paying the mortgage and bills and arranging insurance and maintenance
• Managing your bank accounts
• Collecting benefits and pension payments
• Managing your investments
• Paying for your care
• Selling your home if this should be necessary

This type of LPA can be used while you are still able to manage your own affairs if you wish, so that your attorney can help you out.

Health and welfare Lasting Power of Attorney

A health and welfare LPA can only be used if you lose mental capacity. It can cover matters including:

• Where you live
• What care you receive, to include medical treatment
• What your daily routine will be
• Who you will see

You can tailor the LPA to give your attorney the authority to make decisions about life-sustaining medical treatment if you wish. Otherwise, these types of decisions will be made by your medical team, unless you have made an Advance Decision or Living Will.

Who should I choose to act as my attorney under an LPA?

The role of attorney can be time-consuming and involve a certain amount of paperwork and organisation. As well as choosing someone you trust, you need to make sure that you select someone who has both the time and the ability to deal with the role. You may want to choose someone younger than you, so that there is a good chance that they will be able to take up the position, should it ever be necessary.

If you want to choose someone of a similar age to you, you can also select a replacement attorney as a backup.

Registering a Lasting Power of Attorney ready for use

A Lasting Power of Attorney needs to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian or OPG before it can be used. It is generally recommended that this is dealt with at the time that the LPA is made, as the OPG will take several months to process an application. By registering it straightaway, there is also the opportunity to deal with any queries that arise.

Once the LPA has been registered, it can be kept until it is needed.

Contact our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors near me – East Yorkshire and York area

We always welcome clients to our offices in Beverley, Hull and York. If you are wondering where to find LPA solicitors near me, we will be happy to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.

You can ring us for a FREE initial chat on 01482 300 200, email us at welcome@lockings.co.uk or fill in our Free Online Enquiry and we will call you back promptly. As well as helping local clients in Beverley, Hull and York, we also represent those from across East Yorkshire and the York area.