Lasting Power Of Attorney

[littleshirl]

Have decided we really must get this done, so would appreciate any advice. Is it possible to do it ourselves, I think it costs about £1,000 to have a solicitor do it,but it might be worth it for 'peace of mind',I have been looking online and have found a lot of sites who will do it for you, or help you do it for about £60, one is 'TenminuteWill.co.uk' I just wondered if anyone on AB has used something like this and what they thought about it?

[sandyRoe]

There are a number of legal eagles and one of them will probably be along later to give a definitive answer but I can't believe it can cost £1000 or anywhere near.

[littleshirl]

Thank you for answering sandyRoe, my friend said they paid £800 a couple of years ago, so just allowed for galloping inflation :0) but I suppose it depends on what is involved.

[sandyRoe]

Isn't it just a document where you nominate someone to act on your behalf and handle your affairs in the event of your incapacity? I think it would give greater peace of mind if a lawyer drew it up but still can't see it costing as much as you've mentioned.
My lawyer did one for me and included it in the cost of my will.

[rockyracoon]

Have a read here Shirl, it might help.

It's the goverment website so should be correct.

[Hymie]

You can do it yourself for free (excluding reg. fee, from which you could be exempt) – someone will shortly post the links to the relevant gov. website for the docs and info.

[ABerrant]

Ta Da!

https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney

[Psybbo]

https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney

[sddsddean]

Did my Mums and Mother in Laws power of attorney a couple of months ago.
First off, you can do it yourself no problem. It takes a bit of time to 'get your head round it', but it took me about 4hrs to fill in the forms. You can fill it in on line, but you still have to get loads of signatures, so I couldn't see the point. On the link above, select option 10; the link to the office of the public guardian. Send them an e mail and ask for the forms...they are free! There are 2 different PoA's. One is Property and Finance, the other is Health and Welfare. Apart from one page, the forms are exactly the same except they have Property and Finance or Health and Welfare at the top, so if you fill in one set, you can copy the next set.
You can have as many attorneys as you like (Mum has 3..her children; Mother in Law has 5...children and spouses). It costs the same no matter how many you have , so get at least 2 or 3. Cost is £130 for each PoA, but if the donor (Whoever the PoA is for) is on Benefit of any kind or Pension Guarantee, its free (form included in pack).
Read the 'how to fill in the forms' books...they are actually quite clear and have examples of how the forms will look. Apart from the attorneys, you will need at least one 'person to be told' (normally a friend...this is a safety system so that the friend can say if they think the family is doing the PoA behind the donors back) and a witness who is not one of the attorneys or another family member.
When you fill in the forms, assuming there is more than one attorney, do it 'jointly and severally' (there is a box to tick). This means any one of the attorneys can do stuff. Finally, it is good to get it done while the donor is still able to (they will have a lot of signing to do!). Even if you have a PoA, they can still do stuff themselves. Having the PoA means everything is ready for when the worst happens. Any queries, post back on here and I'll answer if I can within a day or two.

[rockyracoon]

Bugger, I forgot to put the link in didn't I, doh!

[littleshirl]

Wow, thank you all for so much info, great help.I can't see how those advertisers can do it for £60 if it takes about four hours tho'. I will send for the forms to read, thanks for the links, and take it from there, so I will probs be back on here again begging for help -(sddsddean be warned :0)

[dzug2]

##I can't see how those advertisers can do it for £60 if it takes about four hours tho'##

It doesn't take them 4 hours - you will still be filling in the form yourself, directly or indirectly, taking the 4 hours, then all they have to do is format it and print it for signatures

[soapnumpty]

We recently enquired with a solicitor about doing a lasting power of attorney and it was going to cost £750, so if you can do it yourself i would!