v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v 5th June 2025 • The HERALD • Page 67 ASK A PROFESSIONAL WHY ESTABLISH A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY by Heritage Will Writing No-one likes to think about losing the ability to manage their own a airs, but approximately 820,000 people in this country have some form of dementia. Many others su er from strokes, brain injuries or have mental health conditions, and the truth is there are many things that can impact on someone’s ability to look a er their own a airs - regardless of age. In fact, you almost certainly know someone in this situation. Whilst it’s an uncomfortable thought - and no-one ever believes it will happen to them - around 2 million people in the UK lack mental capacity and it’s something that can happen to anyone, at any time. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) prepares for the eventuality, and whilst this article covers some of the basics, a more detailed explanation can be found by visiting www. heritagewillwriting.co.uk Lasting Powers of Attorney – e Basics • A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that lets you ‘the donor’ appoint one or more people (‘the attorneys’) to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf. e important thing is that you get to choose who will act on your behalf, and you are able to choose people you can trust - people that will ful l their legal responsibility to act in your best interest • If you lose mental capacity and don’t have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place, the Court of Protection will appoint a Deputy to manage your a airs on your behalf. is will involve signi cant legal fees, including annual supervision fees of up to £800, application fees, doctors certi cation fees, a security bond, a deputy fee and a long delay before the Deputyship Order is issued • It’s a common misconception that, in the absence of a Lasting Power of Attorney, your partner or close family member (next of kin) can make decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so - this isn’t the case • It’s another popular common misconception that joint bank accounts can still be used when one of the account holders loses capacity. is isn’t true - in practice, the bank will freeze joint bank accounts, unless there’s a Lasting Power of Attorney in place. For most people trying to deal with a partner that has lost capacity, this represents a signi cant issue • ere are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney, one covers your property and nancial a airs, and the other covers your health and welfare. Many people assume that those making the nancial decisions also make decisions relating to health and care - this isn’t the case, which is why we highly recommend having both types in place • You can apply limits to the authority your attorneys have, if appropriate • Lasting Powers of Attorney replaced the Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPA) in October 2007 If you need any help or advice with regards to preparing your Lasting Powers of Attorney, please contact us on 023 8087 9243 or email: info@heritagewillwriting.co.uk. Businesses Celebrated in Third Year of The King’s Awards for Enterprise e recipients of e King’s Awards for Enterprise were announced recently on 6th May, celebrating the achievements of leading businesses from across the UK and Channel Islands and recognising their vital role in growing our economy to improve lives. is year, 197 businesses representing a diverse range of sectors, have been recognised by His Majesty e King as among the best in the country, highlighting the ambition, ingenuity, and success of our diverse business community. Of these, 36 of the recipients are based in the South East which includes locally: Gill Instruments Limited in Lymington, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust in Southampton, Crystal Spring Consumer Division Ltd in Chandlers Ford, Covec Limited in Hedge End Keith Bloxsome and e Silver Crane Company Limited in Ringwood. Gareth omas, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports said: “There are some exceptional businesses from the South East recognised in this year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise. I wish the winners every success as they continue to grow, innovate and prosper, and commend the invaluable contributions they have already made to communities at home in the South East and abroad, helping to boost the UK economy.” e King’s Awards for Enterprise were previously known as e Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and were renamed two years ago to re ect His Majesty e King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. e Award programme, now in its 59th year, has awarded over 8,000 companies since its inception in 1965. His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants – e King’s representatives in each county – will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year. One representative from each winning business will also be invited to a special Royal reception event.
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