Wills, Estates and Future Planning
Powers of Attorney
What we do
Powers of Attorney are a critical part of the protections which help our clients put in place. There is a common misconception that a person’s family can take control of their finances or make decisions about their welfare in the event that they lose capacity to make these decisions themselves. This is not the case, and in the absence of a Power of Attorney, it is often necessary for an application to be made to the Court to have a guardian appointed to make decisions. This is a lengthy and uncertain (not to mention costly) process, so we always recommend to our clients that they put a Power of Attorney in place to cover the possibility of them losing capacity in the future.
Putting a Power of Attorney in place means that you can choose who you would want to make the important decisions for you at a time that you are unable to do so yourself. Our specialist team can advise you on how best to structure your Power of Attorney as well as what powers to give your Attorneys. In addition, we can assist you with putting an Advance Medical Directive (also known as Living Will) and an Advance Statement in place to guide your Attorneys when making decisions on your behalf.
Powers of Attorney can be particularly important for company or business owners, to make sure that the business can continue to operate even if the event of incapacity.
We are also able to offer advice to Attorneys in the exercise of their powers to make sure that they are fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities. We can also get involved where matters become contentious.