…Including Yourself
The Importance of Lasting Power of Attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you, the ‘donor’, appoint one or more people known as ‘the attorneys’ to make decisions on your behalf.
This gives you more control over what happens to your health and financial matters if you have an accident or an illness that results in a lack of mental or physical capacity and means you cannot make your own decisions. There are two types of LPA’s; Financial Matters and Health and Welfare.
Protect yourself by appointing the person YOU want to manage your affairs in the event of your incapacity.
What Happens if I Lose Capacity and Don’t Have a Power of Attorney?
If you’re married or in a civil partnership, you may have assumed that your spouse would automatically be able to deal with your bank accounts and pensions and make decisions about your health and care, if you lose the ability to do so. This is NOT the case.
If you have not effected a Power of Attorney, the Court of Protection will effectively choose one for you! This is called a deputy and could even be a representative of your local authority.
