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If you are troubled about the unforeseeable future, particularly concerning your mental capacity and making decisions, our Power of Attorney solicitors in Chichester can help. We can ensure that you needn’t worry if you are unable to make important decisions in the future, helping to ease your mind knowing you are in safe hands no matter what happens.
There are different types of Powers of Attorney available to choose from depending on your requirements. Setting up a Power of Attorney will provide a selected attorney or panel of attorneys with the ability to handle specific aspects of your life, whether that is your finances, health and welfare or the two combined.
A Lasting Power of Attorney empowers someone to make decisions for you if you one day lose the mental capacity to do so yourself, while a General Power of Attorney can be of assistance while you still have mental capacity if you are unable to carry out certain tasks in person.
Whether you are looking to appoint someone you trust to make important decisions that align with your views or you are acting as an attorney for a loved one, our solicitors for Power of Attorney in Chichester will provide ongoing support to help you effectively handle
Our panel of friendly and compassionate solicitors can provide proficient advice and practical guidance on Power of Attorney matters, including:
- Discussing your needs and advising you in respect of the different types of Power of Attorney
- Drafting a health and welfare LPA and/or a property and financial affairs LPA tailored to your specific requirements
- Ensuring that those who need to know about the LPA are notified
- Advising you in respect of registration of your LPA
- Registering your LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian
- Liaising with the Office of the Public Guardian and replying to their enquiries as necessary
- Drawing up and filing a deed of revocation of an LPA
- Advice for attorneys who will be using an LPA
For more information about our services, see our Power of Attorney page.
Speak to our Power of Attorney solicitors in Chichester
To discuss your requirements and find out how we can help, please get in touch to speak to one of our Power of Attorney solicitors in Chichester.
Our Power of Attorney services in Chichester
Power of Attorney legal advice
Making the decision to trust other people with your health, finance, estate, and other aspects of your life is a considerable commitment to make. Prior to following through with putting a Power of Attorney agreement in place, understanding exactly what they are, the types available and the advantages and disadvantages of them is highly recommended. A Power of Attorney solicitor will be able to provide you with robust legal advice.
Making a Power of Attorney
When making a Power of Attorney, there are several steps that need to be correctly followed to guarantee the document is valid. You will likely want to tailor your document surrounding your circumstances and wishes, and our solicitors can ensure this is clearly stated within the document.
We have worked with a range of clients over the years, helping them to put provisions in place for the future and choosing family and close friends they trust to take care of them should circumstances change in the future.
Our solicitors can provide expertise on drafting a Power of Attorney in Chichester through:
- Advising how best to structure your document
- Assisting you in selecting trusted attorney(s)
- Implementing clauses into the document that reflect your circumstances and wishes
- Acting as a certificate provider
- Registering the document with the Power
Property and finances Lasting Power of Attorney in Chichester
Lasting Power of Attorney agreements are made to come into effect when the donor no longer has the mental capacity to make decisions on their own or no longer wishes to make their own decisions. There are two types of LPAs. Where a property and finances LPA has been put in place, the chosen attorney(s) will be responsible for handling the donor’s property and their finances. This could include handling:
- Money
- Taxes
- Bills
- Bank accounts
- Property (buying, selling, remortgaging, etc.)
- Pensions
- Benefits
- Investments
The appointed attorney(s) will be required to make decisions that they believe the donor would want if doing it themselves or decisions that are in favour of the donor. An example where a decision is made for the donor’s best interest could include selling their home if they are to move into residential care.
If you require a property and finance LPA, our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors have years of collective expertise and are ready to assist.
Health and welfare Lasting Power of Attorney in Chichester
The other type of Lasting Power of Attorney is a health and welfare LPA. When the donor loses mental capacity or decides they no longer want to make decisions concerning their health and welfare, the nominated attorney or multiple attorneys will be responsible for making these decisions on their behalf. The decisions they make will need to follow the terms set out in the LPA, ensuring the decisions made would reflect the donor’s wishes, but also be in their best interest.
A Lasting Power of Attorney allows the attorney(s) to make decisions on aspects of your life, including:
- Medical treatment
- Where you live
- Where you will be cared for, such as if you need to be moved into residential care
- The type of care you will receive
- Daily care, such as what your diet will be, exercise, etc.
If you need an LPA, our Lasting Power of Attorney solicitors in Chichester have a broad scope of knowledge and are ready to provide a helping hand, ensuring everything has been done correctly and to suit your wishes.
General Power of Attorney in Chichester
Sometimes life throws us hurdles which can limit our abilities to physically carry out tasks for a period of time, but not necessarily for the remainder of our life. That’s where a General Power of Attorney or sometimes known as an Ordinary Power of Attorney, can help.
A GPA agreement can only be made where the donor has not lost mental capacity but needs additional assistance when carrying out certain tasks. An example of this could include when the donor is staying in hospital for a period of time or can even be used when the donor is away on a trip where they will be unable to handle specific matters.
Enduring Power of Attorney in Chichester
An Enduring Power of Attorney or sometimes known as an EPA is the same as a property and finances Lasting Power of Attorney. This type of Power of Attorney was in place prior to 1 October 2007.
Despite individuals no longer being able to obtain an EPA, any that were put in place prior to the change can still be used so long as it is valid. Where you have an EPA, this will not authorise your attorney to deal with matters relating to your health and welfare, a health and welfare LPA will need to be set up.
If you have an Enduring Power of Attorney in Chichester, our solicitors can review your EPA document, advising you whether the terms are still applicable should you lose mental capacity in the future. We can additionally aid you in putting a health and welfare LPA in place.
Legal advice for attorneys
Being an attorney for a donor is a significant responsibility that must be handled aligned with the terms set out in the Power of Attorney agreement. There are duties the attorney must handle, yet there are also prohibitions to what the attorney can and cannot manage.
Our solicitors can walk you step by step through your duties and responsibilities, making sure you are completely clear on what is required of you and how to make decisions that are in the donor’s best interest.
Our Chichester Power of Attorney solicitors’ fees
Should you need assistance with Power of Attorney in Chichester, our solicitors offer competitive but flexible funding that’s suitable for everyone, no matter their position.
From the get-go, you will be provided with a tailored quote that provides a clear estimation of the expected costs for the Power of Attorney service we will be delivering. Doing this allows complete transparency and helps you to make a fully informed decision about whether you want to work with the team at SMR Solicitors.
Where your matter is more straightforward, we may be able to provide our services on a fixed fee basis. This means you will know the exact amount prior to the work being carried out. If matters are more complicated, we are likely to charge on an hourly basis, but will always provide a costs estimate.
If you are interested in learning more about our Power of Attorney fees, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team.
Speak to our Power of Attorney solicitors in Chichester
To discuss your requirements and find out how we can help with Power of Attorney in Chichester, please get in touch to speak to one of our solicitors for Power of Attorney.
