Plan now, benefit later AND get £50 off your bill

12th March 2010

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The simple truth is that everyone would be much better off setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney now, putting it in a safe and secure place just in case it is ever needed. It would, without doubt, be the best thing you ever spent your hard earned money on. The alternative of course is to not bother. If however you do lose capacity (mental or physical), and yes it does happen every day, just think of the number of people who go through the ‘Accident & Emergency’ department at the local hospitals. The law will freeze your assets under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and prevent anyone without the right legal authority from handling them, including your spouse or partner. The people closest to you will have no choice but to apply to the Court of Protection stating why they should be allowed to act for you. The cost and time delays you will suffer will be a living nightmare, there are annual charges to pay and it is likely to cost you a lot of money, and I do mean in the thousands. The court often limits what you (as a court deputy) can do; and can force you to seek their approval in certain circumstances, such as writing out a cheque for over £500. You won’t have anywhere near the freedom of operation that you do get if you had chosen your attorneys yourself in an LPA that you had set up in advance of something happening. As an example, take a moment to watch this short extract from a BBC One Show programme - <a title="BBC One Show - impact of not having a Lasting Power of Attorney" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theoneshow/2010/01/power-of-attorney-top-tips.shtml" target="_blank">CLICK here</a>. Think about it, the LPA is there for the benefit of those who will have to run around for you such as close friends and family. Another very valid point is that you’d be horrified if the Court appointed someone you didn’t trust and wouldn’t have picked in a million years, what kind of a disaster would that be! With an ever ageing population the Court of Protection is clearly going to ‘mint it’ from all those in need at the eleventh hour, will you be one of these people or will you have set up an LPA in advance? Many solicitors charge unrealistic fees, I recently came across £1,500 for two LPA’s – compare that to our normal fee of £180 each! We sensibly charge for our work. As an added bonus we promise to explain your options in plain English, so you will understand very clearly what it is all about. The whole process is simple and straight forward, there’s no need for unnecessary complication. As a ‘bestofhinckley’ member, for a limited time only, you can even get £50 off our normal fee for an LPA with your <a title="See the bestof Hinckley member offers" href="http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/hinckley/member-offers" target="_blank">member offers voucher</a>. Get organised and have the peace of mind that putting this issue behind you will bring. By the way we also advise on protecting your home from care costs, planning around inheritance tax and in certain circumstances removing hefty probate charges altogether – the message is clear, plan now, benefit later, it works, but if you don’t ask us we can’t help you! If you would like further advice and guidance with any LPA, Will or estate planning matter then contact Rob Abell at Will Planning Solutions for a friendly no obligations discussion - Tel. 01455 268 677 or <a title="Bestof HInckley feature for Will PLanning Solutions" href="http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/hinckley/business-guide/feature/will-planning-solutions/76646" target="_blank">visit his feature on the bestofhinckley</a> and use the contact details panel on the feature to email Rob./332d515f-5151-4408-8e7b-091a862d5eff.jpg