World Alzheimer’s Month is an international campaign held every year during September to raise awareness of dementia and address the stigma that exists around the condition.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), latest figures show that in 2021, 57 million people had dementia worldwide, and the disease is currently the seventh leading cause of death among older people globally.
Dementia is a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking, and the ability to perform daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, contributing to 60–70% of cases.
Symptoms get worse over time, and people with dementia will often reach a point where they can no longer make decisions for themselves about their finances or care.
Before an individual loses capacity, it is crucial that they have their legal affairs in order.
Power of Attorney Solicitors Wisbech
Making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a key part of this process.
An LPA is a legal document that allows an individual to appoint a trusted person to make important decisions about their financial, property, health and welfare should there come a time when they are unable to make those decisions for themselves.
Although it is possible to set up an LPA without a solicitor, the process is complicated, and it is easy to make mistakes.
An error on the forms may mean your LPA is rejected by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) when you try to register it, or it is not valid when you need to use it.
Using a solicitor means you benefit from their legal expertise, helping you avoid mistakes and giving you valuable peace of mind.
If you need help with an LPA, or are looking for advice surrounding a Lasting Power of Attorney, please contact our experienced private client solicitors and chartered legal executives today on 01945 583194 (Wisbech) or 01354 652606 (March), or email reception@bowsers.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can fill in our contact form.
LPA Solicitors Cambridge
In this blog, our experienced Lasting Powers of Attorney Solicitors give their top reasons why you need a solicitor to help set up a power of attorney.
- Legal knowledge and experience.
There are two main types of power of attorney:
- Property and financial affairs. This type of LPA allows one or more attorneys to make financial decisions regarding paying bills, collecting benefits or a pension, selling the donor’s home and managing bank accounts.
- Health and welfare. This allows a person to appoint one or more attorneys to make decisions about daily routines, such as washing, dressing and eating and medical care.
Most people choose to make both types of LPA, usually at the same time. Each form runs to around 20 pages and involves technical detail and legal terminology, which can be confusing.
A private client solicitor specialising in power of attorney applications will help you complete the necessary paperwork and ensure you fully understand the implications of the LPAs as well as your legal rights and responsibilities.
- Minimises risk of mistakes
Latest figures from the OPG reveal that more than 50,000 applications for power of attorney were rejected in England and Wales during the financial year 2023/2024 due to avoidable errors.
Common mistakes on LPA forms include missing or muddled pages, signing in the wrong order, or contradictory instructions.
Using a solicitor to prepare the forms on your behalf ensures they are prepared correctly and reduces the risk of them being returned or rejected by the OPG.
- Ensures requests are lawful.
Power of attorney applications can also be rejected because they contain unlawful instructions, such as references to assisted dying.
The OPG recommends seeking legal advice on any instructions you want to include in your LPA to ensure it is lawful.
- Safeguarding.
An LPA is a powerful document that affords an appointed attorney considerable control over your affairs.
A solicitor will ensure the documents are prepared correctly, drafted clearly and made without undue influence.
- Part of wider estate planning.
A solicitor can advise whether there are any other legal documents you need to have in place as well as an LPA to protect you and your loved ones.
Solicitor for Power of Attorney Cambridgeshire
At Bowsers Solicitors, our experienced private client solicitors in Wisbech and March help clients draft, register and implement powers of attorney.
Our team takes the time to get to know you, and understand your circumstances, before drafting a bespoke LPA tailored to your needs.
We can also assist in registering your LPA at the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).
To speak to one of our friendly yet professional private client solicitors or chartered legal executives today, please call 01945 583194 (Wisbech) or 01354 652606 (March), or email reception@bowsers.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can fill in our contact form.
Find out more about our Lasting Powers of Attorney legal service by clicking here.
