Private Client
A lasting power of attorney lets you choose who can help with decisions if you need support in the future. We help you consider the people to appoint, how they should work together and the instructions that matter to you, then guide you through preparation, signing and registration.
Understanding your next steps
A property and financial affairs LPA concerns matters such as accounts, bills and property. A health and welfare LPA concerns decisions about care and treatment. You can make either or both, and the circumstances in which attorneys can use them are different.
You can appoint more than one attorney and consider replacements. The way attorneys are authorised to act can affect what happens if one cannot continue. We discuss practical issues such as availability, family relationships and the decisions they may need to make.
Preferences and binding instructions need careful wording. The forms require the right people to sign in the correct sequence, including a certificate provider. We explain these safeguards and help avoid arrangements that are unclear, unworkable or outside what an LPA can achieve.
A clear way forward
Bring identification, details of proposed attorneys and replacements, and any existing power of attorney. Think about the decisions and preferences you want to discuss.
We explain the options and wording, including how attorneys should act and any particular treatment or financial instructions.
We guide the agreed signing and registration work, then explain storage, copies and how your attorneys can find the document when it is needed.
Planning ahead
Fees depend on whether you need one or both types, the number of people making LPAs and any complex instructions or capacity issues. Office of the Public Guardian registration fees are separate; reductions or exemptions may be available where the criteria are met.
Registration is not immediate. The Office of the Public Guardian currently indicates eight to ten weeks for an application without mistakes. Allow time for advice and signing as well, and tell us about any urgent health concerns.
Read our published Price Guide, then contact us to confirm the work you need and the costs involved.
View Price GuideUseful to know
Marriage does not by itself give someone general authority over your sole accounts or all decisions on your behalf. An LPA records the authority you choose to give, subject to its legal limits.
An LPA must be registered. A property and financial affairs LPA can be used with your permission while you have capacity, subject to its terms. A health and welfare LPA operates only when you cannot make the relevant decision.
A diagnosis does not automatically settle whether you can make an LPA. You must have the relevant mental capacity when it is made. Seek advice promptly so your circumstances and any assessment needed can be considered.
No. They do different jobs. An LPA concerns decisions during your lifetime and ends on death. A will sets out how your estate should be dealt with after death.
General information for England and Wales. Contact us for advice about your circumstances.
SJS Solicitors · Balham
