Lasting Powers of Attorney...

Lasting Powers of Attorney…

Have you made one to protect both your health and finances AND have you registered them?

If you have made the necessary arrangements to protect both your health and your assets in the future and have wisely prepared Lasting Powers of Attorney documents, have you sent them off for registration at the Office of the Public Guardian?

Registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney documents can take up to 20 weeks. The Office of the Public Guardian appears to be exceptionally busy with all types of Lasting Powers of Attorney matters currently. The registrations for the year 2023 were up by 37% in comparison to the year before, with a high figure of 1,161,958 Lasting Power of Attorney documents being registered in 2023 as a whole.

In around Autumn time this year, new rules are said to be coming in to restrict who can register a Lasting Power of Attorney document. As it stands, it is currently a Donor (the person who made it and for whom it offers protection) or the Attorney (the person(s) who are appointed to make decisions on behalf of the donor as if they were them) who are allowed to register the documents. Soon, it may be only the Donor who can register the document. If a Donor has lost mental capacity however, it is unclear as to who will be able to register the document to assist the Donor with their health and financial decisions.

If you have a Lasting Power of Attorney document and are concerned about registration arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact our office on 01606 74301 and ask to speak to a member of the Private Client team who would be more than pleased to assist you with your registration matter.

If you do not have a Lasting Power of Attorney document, please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange an initial appointment to discuss the documents, and to prepare the next steps in order for you to protect your assets and your health in the future.