LASTING/ENDURING POWER OF ATTORNEY - UK (except Scotland)
Partly, as a result of longer life expectancy,
we all face the possibility that we may lose the mental capacity
to manage our own affairs. The onset of illnesses such as Dementia
or Alzheimers Disease, may impair our ability to cope with a variety
of day to day matters. The inability to sign cheques, sell assets
or withdraw money from the building society can create an extremely
distressing and difficult situation for ourselves and our family.
If capacity is lost our affairs are taken over
by the Court of Protection/Office of the Public Guardian, which
can be an intrusive, lengthy and costly procedure. However, this
situation can be avoided by the appointment of an Enduring/Lasting Power
of Attorney; a document which legally authorises one or more
people, we trust, to act on our behalf.
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