If something happened to you tomorrow, could your family and loved ones rest easy knowing your affairs are being taken care of? While it may not be a pleasant subject to face, the fact is that we should all be prepared for the eventuality that an accident could happen and potentially leave us incapable of making necessary decisions about our lives.
Although this may be a difficult, unpleasant, or even tedious situation to envision, making sure that your affairs are in order is a vital step in making sure that your wishes can be met and your family and that your loved ones are provided for.
For this reason (and many others), everyone should appoint at least one trusted individual as their Attorney to ensure that their wellbeing is well handled if anything unexpected should happen. This article will explore some of the most important information you should keep in mind when choosing how to appoint your Power of Attorney.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)?
A person with LPA has the power to make legal and health decisions on your behalf if you become unable to make those decisions yourself.
There are two different kinds of LPA, which can cover either financial affairs or health and wellness choices. It’s possible for a single person to be granted both kinds or to grant LPA over one category but not the other.
Choosing a Lawyer with LPA
It’s critically important to pick a good candidate when it comes to choosing the person who will have legal power over your affairs. While it’s possible to appoint a professional solicitor with LPA, it’s common to appoint a spouse, friend, or relative to the position as well.
Any individual you choose must be at least eighteen years of age, must have the mental capacity to make legal decisions, and of course, must be someone you trust to handle your affairs and respect your wishes.
Appointing More than One Attorney in Fact
Is it possible to appoint more than one person with LPA? The short answer is yes, but there are multiple factors to consider.
How Many Attorneys Can I Appoint?
Technically, you can appoint up to four people to have LPA over your affairs.
Multiple Attorneys: Jointly or Individually?
When appointing LPA to multiple parties, you have an important choice about how decisions will be made.
- Working Jointly Together – In this situation, all attorneys who are appointed in the LPA must come to an agreement before making a decision. This is valuable if you specifically want all the parties involved to be in agreement on certain topics but also poses a risk – opposing views can hold up a final decision, potentially leaving you without care.
- Working Jointly or Individually – The more flexible (and popular) option allows people with LPA to make decisions either as a group or individually.
The Advantages of Having More Than One Attorney
There are several reasons why someone may want more than one person to have LPA over their affairs – first and foremost is the fact that it can be advantageous to have more than one perspective when making important decisions.
Even if you completely trust someone to have your best interests at heart when making decisions on your behalf, it may be valuable for their decisions to be tempered by someone who knows you in a different capacity (say, a close friend as opposed to a relative), or by someone with a different stake in your financial or medical decisions.
For example, you might want your spouse to have direct control over your finances, while you may prefer a friend to make a difficult decision about continuing your life support. It all depends on your personal circumstances and wishes.
Replacement Attorneys
The second major advantage of appointing more than one person with authority to make decisions under your LPA is that it allows you to have a backup Attorney if one of the people you have chosen can no longer act.
Schedule an Appointment with Elizabeth Middleton Solicitors
We know that thinking about the future can be stressful. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect, kindness and receive a personal service that meets their needs in a relaxed, un-rushed environment.
Elizabeth Middleton Solicitors is here to help you prepare for the future and ensure your wishes are followed, which is why our expert legal team specializes in Lasting Power of Attorney, Wills, Probate and Conveyancing.
Don’t wait for life to happen – Get in touch today to learn more about our LPA services and gain the peace of mind that your future is taken care of.
