Kate Garraway has recently suffered a huge amount of pain, stress and confusion because her husband did not make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). We always try to educate our family, friends, and customers about the importance of making an LPA to protect themselves and their loved ones – but experience is often the best teacher. In this article, we’ll share other people’s experiences so your family doesn’t have to make the same mistakes as them.
Kate Garraway regrets that her husband never made an LPA… here’s why.
Kate Garraway’s husband, Derek, has been struggling to recover after contracting coronavirus in March 2020. Aside from the emotional pain caused by Derek’s condition, Kate also opened up on Good Morning Britain about the practical difficulties of handling his financial and property affairs without the legal authority to do so, and the added stress and suffering this is causing her.
Many of the marital assets and policies are in Derek’s name, and because he never made an LPA, Kate is unable to deal with these. She is struggling daily to handle things that should be easy to do, such as handling issues with their car insurance or utility providers. Had Derek made a simple and affordable LPA, Kate would be able to take full control of all the policies and assets in Derek’s name instantly and seamlessly.
Kate now has to go through lengthy, complex, and costly court proceedings to try and gain the power to look after her family affairs – causing even more stress and hassle at an already painful time. With an LPA, Kate would also be able to make decisions regarding Derek’s healthcare and welfare, which could become increasingly important as his condition continues to be serious. She shared her story to highlight the importance of making an LPA so other families don’t make the same mistake.
Ylenia Angeli regrets that her mother never made an LPA… here’s why.
Ylenia is a retired nurse who was arrested in 2020 for taking her mother out of the care home she was living in. Her mother had been suffering from loneliness due to the coronavirus restrictions, and as a family, they decided she would be happier and safer being looked after by her daughter at home. But the care home said she wasn’t allowed to leave, and Ylenia had no legal right to dispute this decision because her mother had not made a Health & Welfare LPA. Therefore, by making what should have been a family decision, Ylenia was arrested and her mother was returned to the care home. Had her mother made an LPA, there would have been no issue because her daughter would legally have the power to make decisions on her mother’s behalf.
The Bottom Line
The two stories in this article are great examples of why it’s so important to make an LPA whilst you still have the mental capacity to do so, and to encourage your family to do the same. With our help, making an LPA is simple and affordable, and it can save a huge amount of pain, stress, and confusion down the line – and prevent the costly and complex court procedures required to gain these powers after it’s too late.
We’re here to make sure you’ll always be looked after by the people who love you. 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 here. We look forward to helping you and making sure you and your family are fully protected.
Camberley: 01276 691979
COVID-19 Update
Due to the current situation, you are now able to make an LPA with us remotely for your own safety and convenience. 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, click on the article below for more information or call us and we’ll explain how it works.
