SERVICES

ENDURING POWERS OF ATTORNEY

• In our view, an Enduring Power of Attorney is just as important as a Will. Whilst a Will operates on your death, an Enduring Power of Attorney operates during your life time, and covers situations were you are not able to make decisions for yourself because of incapacity, or an inability to look after your own affairs.
• We will discuss with you the appointment the most suitable person to act as your Attorney. There are a number of exclusions within the legislation and we can advise you on the most suitable person to act as your Attorney.
• There are two types of Powers of Attorney, being a General Power of Attorney, or an Enduring Power of Attorney. They have different uses, such as in the business context, or in relation to your personal, financial and health affairs. For the private individual, an Enduring Power of Attorney is often recommended, and we suggest that you discuss with us what type of Power of Attorney would suit your circumstances.

•  Why have an Enduring Power of Attorney?

Everyone is at risk of an accident or unexpected mental/physical illness that will prevent you from having the capacity to deal with your own personal and financial affairs. If you lose this ability, and you do not have an Enduring Power of Attorney it may prove difficult or impossible for your family to take over your affairs.

•  Advance Health Directives:

In addition to the normal clauses in your Power of Attorney, an Advance Health Directive can be given to allow you to give directions about your future health care, should you lose the capacity to make these decisions. An Advance Health Directive can ease the burden of responsibility on family members when confronted with difficult or urgent decisions when you are in need of serious or urgent medical care. When making your Power of Attorney, speak to us about an Advance Health Directive. It may also be wise to seek your Doctor's advice and help in completing this aspect of the matter.

•  Cost:

Again, Powers of Attorney have many variations and we would be happy to talk to you about the costs of preparing a Power of Attorney for you.