Harold Stock & Co are running a special promotion during the month of April 2013.
Most people are aware of the importance of having a Will professionally drawn, yet many simply do not get round to preparing and signing a Will.
For the month of April 2013, we will prepare a Will for you or amend your existing Will free of charge when you have a Power of Attorney drawn, giving you no more reasons to put off getting your affairs in order.
Without a Will, those who we you would wish to benefit upon your death may not have any entitlement under the intestacy rules. A Will is therefore vital to protect your loved ones, and those you wish to inherit when you die.
Equally as important as having a Will drawn is having a Lasting Power of Attorney prepared.
A Power of Attorney is a legal document which grants the power for somebody else (legally known as your Attorney) to deal with your affairs (such as your bank accounts, property, health and welfare) in the event that you become unable to do so yourself, either through mental or physical incapacity.
It is not just the elderly who need to consider having somebody appointed as their Attorney. People of all ages need to give consideration to appointing a Power of Attorney. Our mental welfare can be affected at any point in our lives by unexpected events such as injury or illness. If you became unexpectedly poorly, then your appointed Attorney(s) could deal with your financial affairs for you and take care of your assets and bills to ensure nothing is left to become a problem. Importantly, your Attorney could also make decisions about your health and welfare, such as consenting to medical treatment on your behalf or dealing with the very difficult issue as to whether or not you should go into care.
It is important to note that if you begin to lose your mental capacity, then at that stage you are unable legally to appoint somebody as your Attorney. In such circumstances, if your family and friends want to help administer your affairs (whether it concerns your health or welfare or property and financial matters) then they would need to make an application to the Court of Protection. This would be required, even in circumstances whereby your husband or wife had to pay your care home fees on your behalf from your personal bank account.
Court of Protection applications are notoriously costly (the Court fee alone being currently £400) and can take months to process which often results in stress and anxiety for your family. If, however, you have already dealt with and appointed somebody as your Attorney before starting to lose capacity, then the person whom you have already appointed can seamlessly take over the management of your affairs without the stress and the cost associated with an application to the Court of Protection.
Throughout April 2013, we are offering to draft or amend a Will for you free of charge, if you instruct us to prepare a Power of Attorney for on your behalf.
Please do not hesitate to contact Rebecca O’Donnell by emailing rod@haroldstock.com or calling 01457 836 152 if you require any further information before making up your mind.
If you require an appointment to have a Power of Attorney and/or Will drawn then please contact Rebecca O’Donnell on the details above to arrange a mutually convenient appointment. Home visits are available if this is more convenient to for you.
