If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s how fragile life can be. We never know what’s around the corner, but there are things you can do today to protect yourselves and your loved ones no matter what the future holds. Living in fear of the future can make the present far less enjoyable, so making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) now should help you live a more peaceful life – safe in the knowledge that you’ll always be looked after by the people who love you.
Our LPA department saw an uplift in 2021, which is set to continue in 2022 as people realise how important it is to protect themselves and their families from the potentially disastrous aftermath of serious illness or injury. If you’re over the age of 18, you should have an LPA in place, and the older you are the more crucial these documents are. Without one, the state and social services may one day have complete power over your day-to-day care, finances and property – leaving your loved ones helpless to intervene. In this guide, we’ll explain why and how to make an LPA in 2022, and give you a recent example of what can happen if you don’t have one in place.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney and Why is it Important in 2022?
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that gives your chosen attorney(s) the power to make important decisions on your behalf if you’re ever unable to do so yourself due to illness or injury. You may think that if you were ever to lose the mental capacity to look after yourself properly, whether temporarily or permanently, your loved ones would be there to care for you. But the reality is that even your spouse or children won’t have the legal power to make important decisions on your behalf, only the state and social services will. This can lead to many unwanted outcomes, such as you being moved into a care home against your wishes or your loved ones not being able to access bank accounts, insurance policies or assets that they may rely on.
There are two types of LPA each providing a different set of powers to your attorney. A ‘Health & Welfare LPA’ allows your attorney to make decisions such as your living arrangements, medical treatments, and day-to-day care (including what you wear and eat). A ‘Property & Financial Affairs LPA‘ allows your attorney to manage your bank accounts, insurance policies, utility bills, and assets. It’s most common to make both types of LPA at the same time to ensure you can be fully cared for in your time of need.
Should you make an LPA in 2022? Sadly, many people during the pandemic have been left unconscious or incapacitated for an extended period of time, and although serious illness is being eased by the vaccines, this can still happen to anyone. Aside from Covid 19, there are many other illnesses and injuries that can leave patients unable to look after themselves – so making your LPA in 2022 is as important as ever. Once you have made your LPA, it won’t come into effect until you need it to, but you must get this important document in place whilst you still have the mental capacity to do so. If you ever lose mental capacity, you will not be allowed to make an LPA.
What Could Happen if I Don’t Make a Lasting Power of Attorney in 2022?
You may already know that making an LPA is a good idea, but until you see what can happen without one it’s hard to appreciate just how important these documents really are. Unfortunately, this is why so many families are left high and dry when they put off making an LPA until it’s too late. To give a recent example of what can happen without an LPA, let’s have look at ‘Good Morning Britain’ host, Kate Garraway’s story. Kate’s husband, Derek, was left in a coma after contracting Covid 19 in March 2020. As many of the marital assets and policies were in Derek’s name, Kate was unable to access them, meaning that she couldn’t handle simple things such as their car insurance or utility accounts. Kate had to go through lengthy, complex and costly court proceedings to gain the powers necessary to look after her family properly – creating even more stress during what was already a hard time. With an LPA in place, Kate would have been able to access all of the marital policies, accounts and assets seamlessly; and she would have also had a say in Derek’s medical treatments, day-to-day care and living arrangements.
You can learn more about Kate’s story along with another devastating outcome of not having an LPA here.
How to Make a Lasting Power of Attorney in 2022?
An LPA is a legally binding document that will hold an enormous amount of power over you and your family’s future – so it’s important you seek professional help from an experienced LPA writer. Your LPA has to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian, and if mistakes are made it can be a costly and time-consuming process to make corrections. Making an LPA with Michael Usher Wills & Estate Planning will give you the peace of mind that you’ll be looked after as you would wish and that your family will have access to the finances and property they rely on. There are many important decisions to be made when making your Lasting Power of Attorney, and we’ll guide you through from start to finish and ensure you understand the implications of your choices. Once you’ve decided on your instructions and wishes, we’ll professionally write up your LPA and register it on your behalf. You don’t have to prepare anything before chatting with us, as we’ll explain everything you need to know in person or via phone or video call. You can get in touch with us here to find out more.
The Bottom Line
It’s as important as ever to make a Lasting Power of Attorney in 2022. The uplift in LPAs caused by the pandemic is expected to continue through the year as more people take the time to get these important documents in place. Accidents and illnesses can strike at any age, and having an LPA will ensure you’ll always be looked after by the people who love you, and those same people will be able to access the accounts, assets and policies they rely on. It’s crucial to get your LPA right the first time, and with our help, this is easy to do. Making your LPA in 2022 will give you the peace of mind you need to get on and enjoy life to the full.
Here at Michael Usher Wills & Estate Planning, we’ve been helping our local community with LPAs for over 30 years. Please get in touch and our friendly team of experts will answer all of your questions for free. Call us on one of the numbers below or book a FREE consultation. We look forward to helping you and making sure you and your family are fully protected!
Camberley: 01276 691979
COVID-19 Update
You are more than welcome to come into our office, but we can also make your Lasting Power of Attorney remotely if you’d prefer. The article below details how this works for our Wills service but the process is very similar when making an LPA. The only difference is that you require just one witness when signing your LPA (we can act as your witness if you need us to). If you would like to make your LPA remotely, please click on the link below for more information or call us to get started. How To Make A Will Whilst Socially Distancing
