Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) allow you to appoint people to manage your affairs, should you need some help or become unable to manage your affairs yourself.

Deputyship is a legal term that refers to the appointment of a person (called a deputy) to make decisions on behalf of another person who lacks the mental capacity to do so.

This year’s Autumn Statement was notable for what it did not say rather than what it did. Despite the rumours and speculation in the build-up to the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor did not announce a reduction or simplification of Inheritance Tax, meaning that over the coming years more and more estates will be caught in the Inheritance Tax rules.

In the first part of this insight we discussed two of the main life changes which can necessitate changes to your Will being marriage and divorce.  We now consider other life changes which occur and can create situations which necessitate changes to your Will.

The importance of making a Will which reflects your wishes is therefore paramount but, after making your Will, when should you consider reviewing whether it still reflects your wishes particularly if your circumstances have changed.   

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) can be put into place by a donor (the person appointing the LPA) at any stage of their life and it allows the LPA to make decisions about both the donors property and financial affairs should they lose the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves.

If you have a child or children under the age of 18, you may have thought about appointing a guardian. But what exactly would this entail, both for you and for them?

The day-to-day steps taken by attorneys and deputies are quite similar – but there are some important differences. This question-and-answer document may help to answer some of the more frequent questions people have. 

For many people, the family home is their principal asset and a question which we regularly get asked by our clients is whether they should give away their property, or whether they should put it into joint names with their children.

The UK Parliament has now passed the Powers of Attorney Bill enabling the Office of the Public Guardian to introduce a new system for Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs).

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) are lengthy documents which, as people will often know from experience, can offer many opportunities for mistakes. LPAs are used to appoint attorneys to deal with your affairs, should you need help or become unable to make decisions for yourself.

At a time when bereaved families already have so much to manage, the prolonged delays in the issue of Grants of Probate is not only costing time but, in some cases, money.