As I explain Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) to some of my clients, I can see that mentally, they’re moving on, because they aren’t old enough to develop dementia.
My message to you today, is that losing the ability to make your own decisions, may not be due to dementia. I can’t remove my legal hat. It’s on even when I watch the news.
Hearing a reporter speak of “life changing injuries” nudges me to think about the huge benefit of LPAs when you need them. So do shootings, bombings and car accidents where people actually survive.
Yes, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) are only relevant if you manage to survive something debilitating. Your Will only kicks in when you die, not before. And LPAs are not about giving your assets away. Quite the opposite. LPAs are all about you choosing individuals who you trust completely, to make decisions for you, particularly when you can’t, or when communicating them would be an issue, or mobility or access to services would be challenging.
There are two types of LPA. One relates to Property & Financial affairs, and you can authorise it’s use for convenience, even when you are mentally well. The other relates to Health & Welfare, and can include an instruction to allow your attorneys to give or refuse consent to life sustaining treatment on your behalf. They’re both super useful when you need them.
With the greatest respect, I do tell my clients that I hope LPAs are a complete waste of time and money for them. That’s what I genuinely wish. However, given that unexpected incidents happen all around us these days, and we don’t get notice of life changing in an instant, it’s huge peace of mind to get documents in place while you can.
If you’d benefit from chatting through how this relates to you and your family, please give Jane a call on 01727 840 240 or drop her a line at Jane@jcwillsandprobate.co.uk if you prefer.