Powers Of Attorney
There are two types of Power of Attorney, and each of them has it’s own set of circumstances and uses.
Ordinary Power of Attorney – This allows for someone to make decisions about your affairs whilst you still have mental capacity. It is normally used as a temporary measure in instances where you may be in hospital, working abroad and need someone to manage your finances, or more recently during COVID where you are unable to go out to banks or pay rents etc. yourself.
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) – This allows for someone to make decisions about your finances, health or care and only comes into effect when you have either lost the mental capacity to do so yourself or if you decide you would prefer someone else to manage these things for you. These need to be made in advance whilst you still have mental capacity and need to be witnessed. An LPA replaces an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) unless an EPA was signed before October 2007 in which case it would still be valid.