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We simply can’t stress how important it is to set up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs).

It is the only way that you can appoint the people that you trust to look after you and your finances if you aren’t able to make decisions for yourself or are struggling to cope with financial matters.  Leaving it too late can cause problems for you and your loved ones.

With the cost of living crisis still an issue for many households, making LPAs is often put on the back burner due to the costs involved.  However this may prove to be a false economy in the long term. 

There are two types of LPA: one covering Health and Welfare decisions, and the other Property and Financial Affairs.

If you are living alone, or have taken sole responsibility for your household finances it is vital to have someone you trust to help you if you are no longer able to cope, but they will need to be appointed as your attorney under an LPA to do this.

Even as a married couple, if you lose the ability to manage your own affairs, your spouse will not be able to access money held in a sole account in your name (such as an ISA) however vital those funds might be to continue running your home or to providing care for you.

If you are currently using savings to top up your income, would losing access to them cause you difficulties?

If you have definite views about the type of medical treatment or care that you would want to receive an LPA allows you, via your attorney, to have your say even if you lose capacity.

Without an LPA for Health and Welfare, medical staff can decide what treatment is appropriate for you.  This may mean you could receive treatment that you would not have given consent for, if you were able to make decisions for yourself.

Using a professional to draft your LPA means that you are able to build in safeguards and to give guidance and instructions to your chosen Attorneys that will be approved by the Office of the Public Guardian, the body responsible for registering the documents.

We believe it is important for everyone to have access to professional advice and assistance when putting LPAs in place and recognise that cost can be a barrier, so we are offering the following option.

If you aren’t able to pay in full at the time you instruct us, we offer the option to split the payment into three equal instalments between the start and end of the process, typically paid over four months. 

We will talk to you about the additional Registration fees payable to the Office of the Public Guardian and will work with you to see whether you are able to obtain a reduction or full discount on those fees at the time of making your application.

If you would like to talk to us about putting Lasting Powers of Attorney in place then call Cath Collins on 01945 898090 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..