What is a Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that will allow you to choose two attorneys who are then able to assist you if you lose your mental capacity.

You are able to choose between two different types of Powers of Attorney. These are:

• Financial and Property – These empower your attorneys to make financial decisions, sign cheques on your behalf and deal with your property.
• Health and Welfare – These allow your attorneys to take care of your day to day care, such as if you ever need to move to a residential home or if you would need to be given treatment for life sustaining operations.

Attorneys are not able to do anything without following strict rules and are bound by these rules. If you have any specific instructions on how your attorneys should act on your behalf, you are able to include these instructions and your attorneys will then be bound by these additional restrictions.

It is very important to engage in the making of a Power of Attorney, no matter your current age. It is always possible that your current circumstances may change at any time and a single, unfortunate incident could affect your life drastically. A Power of Attorney may not only give you peace of mind, should the worst happen, but will also give the same to your family.

At Charles Stantham, we have many years of experience in these matters and would encourage you to make an appointment to discuss any queries you may have about the process.

Refund

If, between the dates of 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2017, you made a lasting or enduring Power of Attorney, then you may be entitled to a refund on the application fee paid.

From 1 April 2017, the Office of Public Guardian (OPG) reduced the Power of Attorney application fee . There is now a refund scheme for those who overpaid between these two dates. You have until 31 January 2021 to make any claim regarding this refund scheme.

You can find more information and details by following the link: Claiming a Power of Attorney Refund.