What is an LPA?
Sadly accidents of life or when we grow older we may find ourselves in a position where we cannot do important decisions by and for ourselves such as health care or financial decisions and need to rely on the ones close to us to make those decisions on our behalf. Or worth have the court make those decision for us.
LPA’s are an instrument every adult should have in place. It is a legal document giving one or more people of our choosing (usually close family members or trusted friends) to make decision on our behalf when comes a time where we do not have the capacity to do so anymore.
Two types of LPA’s.
Both types are ideally needed:
Financial and property LPA: it will allow your attorney’s to access your bank accounts and keep paying the bills and attend to your financial needs. Note that even if you have a joint account, banks will not accept transactions without a financial LPA.
Health and welfare LPA: It will give your attorney’s the ability to take critical decisions about your health and welfare in case of are incapacitated such as being in a coma, loosing memory, loosing mobility and/or brain functions, etc. In addition it will allow your children to care for you and organise care for you at home or organise to be cared for in a care home if necessary.