Power of Attorney – Don’t wait to set it up
15/08/2020
A job that gets put off
Setting up Power of Attorney is another of those jobs that seem to get pushed to the side, it feels like there will always be time. However, there are many tragic stories of people doing just that and then it becoming too late. This can cause all sorts of stress and upset for the families concerned.
Samantha Partington of the Daily Mail has written a very moving article about the struggles she had obtaining a court of protection order following the death of her father. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/pensions/article-7353737/Mums-dementia-triggered-financial-nightmare-mustnt-wait-set-power-attorney.html
Dementia
Samantha’s mother inherited the estate but was already suffering with dementia. This meant that her mother was unable to deal with her own affairs.
If a power of attorney had been in place the process would have been less costly and most importantly less stressful for the family.
In this case, it meant that the family ended up losing control over their mothers life. Ultimately, the Office of the Public Guardian was responsible for her affairs. It took seven months for Samantha to become a deputy. This then meant she could deal with her mothers affairs but she then had a legal duty to carry out the role and report back.
Your best interests
A power of attorney ensures that your directives and decisions in your best interest are carried out, by the person you wish to make decisions on your behalf. We find that many of our retired clients or those facing ill health instruct us to set one up on their behalf.
They are straight forward to set up and prices start from £300 plus VAT. Please contact our private client department who will be happy to discuss this matter with you. You can fill out the form on our Private Client page or call us on 0151 480 5777 to have a chat with a member of the team who will be happy to help.
