At-Home Series - What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

•An LPA is a document which allows you to appoint attorneys and replacement attorneys who can make decisions for you if you need help in the future or if you can no longer make your own decisions.

•There are two types of LPA you can put in place, an LPA for property and financial decisions or an LPA for health and care decisions.

•The attorneys appointed under the property and finances LPA could act for you if you needed help in the future but could still make your own decisions. However, attorneys appointed under a health and welfare LPA can only act for you if you could not make decisions for yourself anymore. •You can give your attorneys instructions and guidance about how they should make decisions for you. In the health and care LPA you can also decide whether to give your attorneys the power to make decisions about life-sustaining treatment. •The LPA cannot be used until it has been sent to the Office of the Public Guardian for registration. •LPAs are just as important as making a Will and allow you to appoint people that you trust to act for you. Because they are such important documents, careful consideration should be given as to who you appoint as your attorneys, please contact us for more information.