by
susieq » Mon Jan 04, 2021 4:34 pm
There are two kinds of Power of Attorney - one covers financial matters and the other is for health and welfare.
This Age UK guide is quite informative
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-ad ... -attorney/
Basically a person (the "Donor" gives someone else (the "Attorney") the right to handle their affairs. It is the "Donor" who makes the Power of Attorney and they need to have some mental capacity. They can appoint just one person to act as Attorney or more than one person who then act "jointly" or "severally" according to the Donor's wishes.
You can download the necessary forms for a Power of Attorney from the .GOV website, but it is often better to employ a solicitor versed in family law to complete the documents. If done via a solicitor they will consult with the "Donor" to ensure they understand what they are signing and, therefore be able confirm that the person has mental capacity. A Power of Attorney can be drawn up at any time but doesn't become valid until it is "registered" - usually when it finally becomes necessary.
If the person does not have mental capacity (i.e. later stages of dementia) then you would need to apply to The Court of Protection for the right to act on their behalf - this is a long winded process and the Court will levy ongoing fees.
We were 'lucky' that when we arranged my Mother's power of attorney she was still in the early stages of dementia and our solicitor considered she did still have mental capacity. The documents were drawn up at that time but we didn't need to register them until a couple of years later when her dementia had progressed to the point where she had lost the capacity to manager her own affairs.
Once registered we were able to access her bank/savings accounts and takeover her financial affairs - it's worth noting however that the Attorney(s) should keep records of all transactions made on the Donor's behalf as the Court of Protection can check that the estate is being properly managed.
A Health & Welfare Power of Attorney gives similar rights for an Attorney to act on the Donor's behalf in relation to any matters regarding their Health and Welfare - i.e. a GP cannot withold information regarding medical treatment.
https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney