“Making a Lasting Power of Attorney is just as important as making sure your Will is in place – complete peace of mind that your affairs will be looked after”

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) were introduced on 1 October 2007 and replace the original Enduring Powers of Attorney. However, please note that existing EPAs [those made before the 30 September 2007 deadline] will remain valid.

Following the change in the law, there are now two versions of LPAs. One to deal with financial matters (similar to the enduring powers of attorney), which enables you to take control of your future by ensuring someone is in place to look after your financial affairs should you not be able to look after them yourself. If you appoint more than one attorney, you can appoint them to act "together" or "together and independently". You can also appoint a replacement attorney in case your first appointed attorney(s) dies or is unable to act for you.

A welfare LPA allows your attorney(s) to make welfare and health care decisions on your behalf, only when you lack the mental capacity to do so yourself. This could also extend, if you wish, to giving or refusing consent to the continuation of life sustaining treatment.

Not only can our expert legal advisers put in place the document itself, but we can also help you by advising on the suitability of your proposed attorney and any other aspect of your legal or tax affairs. Should your attorney need to take over your affairs, then in turn we can advise on any matters, whether legal, tax or practical.

We can also advise on the need for and the formalities of registering the LPA with the Court of Protection. Please note that we can still register existing EPAs with the Court as well.

These documents are very powerful, and therefore you should ensure you can trust your attorney implicitly. At Moore Blatch, we not only advise on LPAs but we also act as attorneys in circumstances where there is no-one else who can act.