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19 April 2024 / Ann Stanyer
Issue: 8067 / Categories: Features , Family
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Lasting power of attorney: a matter of trust

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Who would you trust with your life & money? Ann Stanyer offers tips for solicitors when advising a client on lasting power of attorney
  • Offers advice on safeguards and protections in the lasting power of attorney document.
  • Sets out questions to ask and points to consider when clients are choosing potential appointees.

The role of private client solicitors is to ensure our clients understand that a lasting power of attorney is one of the most important documents they can sign. If we do not advise our clients properly or if clients make poor choices as to their attorneys, their finances and health may be left unprotected. More seriously, they leave themselves open to losing their assets to an unscrupulous attorney.

Take your time

For the above reasons, we need to spend time understanding the client, their needs, their estate, wishes and feelings, and how they take decisions for themselves. Once we have these details and have a feel for how the client would like decisions to be

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Clarke Willmott—Matthew Roach

Partner joins commercial property team in Taunton office

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
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Disputing parties are expected to take part in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), where this is suitable for their case. At what point, however, does refusing to participate cross the threshold of ‘unreasonable’ and attract adverse costs consequences?
When it comes to free legal advice, demand massively outweighs supply. 'Millions of people are excluded from access to justice as they don’t have anywhere to turn for free advice—or don’t know that they can ask for help,' Bhavini Bhatt, development director at the Access to Justice Foundation, writes in this week's NLJ
When an ex-couple is deciding who gets what in the divorce or civil partnership dissolution, when is it appropriate for a third party to intervene? David Burrows, NLJ columnist and solicitor advocate, considers this thorny issue in this week’s NLJ
NLJ's latest Charities Appeals Supplement has been published in this week’s issue
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