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Powers of Attorney Solicitors

Having Lasting Powers of Attorney (“LPAs”) in place allows your affairs to be managed in the event that you lose the ability to manage them yourself. This could be due to illness, disability or an accident. If you wish to create an LPA, you are referred to as the donor.

There are two types of LPA; Property and Financial Affairs and Health and Welfare. These allow you to appoint people you trust such as a relative, friend or in some cases a Solicitor to assist with your affairs. The Property and Finance LPA can be effective whilst you still have capacity, however the Health and Welfare LPA only comes into effect if you are deemed to have lost capacity. 

If you are looking to put a Lasting Power of Attorney in place, or are looking for advice as to whether this would be an appropriate route for you to take, please get in touch with our Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning team. We are experienced in advising our clients on all aspects of Lasting Powers of Attorney.

In addition to this, the Partners at Glanvilles LLP are willing to act as Attorneys in appropriate cases.

Speak to one of our expert Lasting Powers of Attorney solicitors in Chichester, FarehamHavant or Petworth or use our simple enquiry form to ask us a question and get a quick response.

How we can help you with Lasting Powers of Attorney

Property and Financial Affairs LPAs

A Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows you to choose one or more persons to make decisions about your money and property on your behalf. This could include paying bills, collecting benefits and selling your property. This type of LPA can take effect whilst you still have mental capacity but perhaps you are physically unable to manage your affairs for yourself, for example if you are unable to see or write, or unable to leave your house. It will continue in the event that you lose mental capacity.

Health and Welfare LPAs

In the unfortunate case that you lose mental capacity, a Health and Welfare LPA allows decisions to be made on your behalf such as your daily routine, care provisions and the refusal of life-sustaining treatment. These decisions cannot be made by your Attorney whilst you still have mental capacity. Decisions made under the LPA can only be made when it is deemed that you have lost mental capacity. You can choose one or more persons to make these types of decision.

Advance Decisions (Living Wills)

With an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (commonly referred to as a ‘Living Will’), you can specify what medical treatment you would be unwilling to have if you ever lose the ability to communicate due to illness or injury.

Advance Decisions are legally binding in England and Wales, but they must be prepared correctly in order for this to be the case. It is therefore essential to have the document drafted by an experienced solicitor with specialist expertise in these matters.

The Wills, Trusts and Estate planning team at Glanvilles can assist with drafting an Advanced Decision to Refuse Treatment or modifying an existing version, ensuring your wishes will be respected should you ever lose the ability to make or communicate decisions about your treatment in future.

Making a Lasting Power of Attorney

A separate application must be made for each type of LPA, for each donor.

In order for an LPA to be valid, you must have full capacity and understanding at the time of execution. Therefore, if the donor has lost capacity before putting an LPA in place, an application should instead be made for the appointment of a Deputy.

We advise you appoint someone you trust implicitly to act as your Attorney. This could be a close relative, friend or even a Solicitor. You are able to appoint the same person under both the Heath and Welfare and Property and Affairs LPA should you wish.

You can appoint more than one Attorney and can choose whether they are to make decisions jointly or whether they can make them individually as well as together. If you choose the latter, this means that one Attorney will be able to make a decision in the event that the other Attorney is unable to do so. This would also mean the LPA would continue if one Attorney were to pass away before you, or become mentally incapable themselves.

The Application

When deciding to create an LPA, there may be certain instructions or restrictions that you wish to include to limit the decisions that your Attorney(s) can make on your behalf. For example, with Property and Finances, you may wish to live in your house for as long as you can and so a restriction on sale could be included. With Health and Welfare, you may wish to restrict your Attorney(s) from making decisions as to life sustaining treatment.

Our Wills, Trusts & Probate team has a wealth of experience in the types of instructions and restrictions that are commonly used in LPA and can provide specific advice to assist you with this decision.

Duties of an Attorney

There are a number of principles that Attorneys are required to follow by law. There are implications for Attorneys if they breach their duties which can lead to criminal sanctions.

Each time an Attorney makes a decision, they are required to act in the best interests of the donor. Attorneys must assume that the donor can make their own decisions until it is deemed that they cannot do so and must help the donor to make as many of their own decisions as possible.

Also, Attorneys cannot treat the donor as being unable to make a decision just because the decision is unwise. Before Attorneys make a decision for the donor, they must consider whether they can make a decision or act in a way that still achieves the purpose but is less restrictive on the donor’s rights.

It is therefore strongly recommended that Attorney’s seek specialist legal advice on the carrying out of their duties. At Glanvilles, our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors regularly advise attorneys on the requirements and responsibilities involved in their role, giving confidence that everything is being handled correctly.

Why choose Glanvilles’ Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors?

Dealing with Lasting Powers of Attorney, Living Wills and other aspects of lifetime planning can be highly sensitive and requires a high level of expertise and personal approach focused on your needs and those of your loved ones.

With many years of experience, the Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning team at Glanviles can offer the ideal combination of legal knowledge and exceptional client service that you need when dealing with these important matters.

Our team includes Partner Sonia Green who is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE). Sonia is also a trained Dementia Friend.

Your needs and what you are looking to achieve will be at the heart of everything we do. Our friendly team will listen to you and make sure we address any particular areas of concern, giving you a tailored service that matches your priorities.

By taking a proactive, forward-thinking approach, we can help you plan for the future effectively and give you peace of mind based on the knowledge that your personal affairs and wellbeing are in safe hands.

The Glanvilles client service promise

When you use our commercial law services, we promise:

  • Our staff will be friendly, respectful and attentive.
  • Your concerns will be listened to, your questions answered and your options explained in plain English.
  • The cost of dealing with your requirements will be made clear to you from the outset.
  • We will answer your phone calls and emails promptly.
  • We will keep you regularly updated at all times.

Glanvilles LLP is Lexcel accredited by the Law Society in recognition of the high standards of our practice management and client care. We are independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Get in touch with our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors in Hampshire & West Sussex

For expert help with a Lasting Power of Attorney, Living Will or any other area of lifetime planning, please contact your local Glanvilles office in Chichester, FarehamHavant or Petworth or use our simple enquiry form and we will get back to you quickly.