It is genuinely important for everyone to have three documents in place which mean that all their affairs are organised and that they and their family have taken the steps now that’ll reduce expense, delays and worry in the long term.
We work hard to make sure that as many of our clients as possible have these three documents in place. Together these three documents make up our Platform.
The first document that we are referring to is a Will.
Many people believe that if you have a Will in place, all your affairs are arranged and you and your family will have nothing to worry about.
It is correct that having a Will in place can remove some uncertainty and can minimise tax. What is less well-known is that to really be of value, a Will needs to be very detailed and tailored to your precise circumstances.
Many Wills fail to do that – they often fail to even mention, for example, who is going to raise your children! Also – the person making the Will must do things in a certain way if they are to make sure that their wishes are indeed carried out after they have passed away.
That kind of detailed exercise is simply not possible, in our view, where Wills are sold cheaply or on-line. They are hugely important, hugely personal documents and we are only prepared to give them the time and exploration that they deserve.
We won’t cut corners – saving money at this stage could cost you or your family a fortune later – a fortune in money, time, stress and conflict.
The second document we are referring to is a Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs.
Nowadays people are living longer and longer, but often without retaining the mental facilities they need to allow them to look after their own affairs.
If you are alive but do not have the mental capacity to manage your own financial or property affairs, then unless you have formally appointed and authorised someone to deal with them on your behalf, your family will be put to the time and expense of having to work with what is called the Court of Protection, the Government office that makes sure you and your assets are protected.
It takes months and potentially lots of expense to get things done through the Court of Protection.
A far easier way of reducing the expense, trauma, and time everything could take is for you to put in place the second document, which is called a Lasting Power of Attorney, to cover your property and financial affairs.
By this, you can you appoint someone you trust to act on your behalf in relation to your financial affairs. Your family will already be suffering at your decline in health, so at least, by having this second document in place, their stress is not added to by the delay and cost of them having to deal with the Court of Protection. This provides peace of mind for all involved.
(Incidentally, once you have appointed someone as your Attorney, they can deal with things for you even before you lose capacity – for example, if anything needed doing while you were abroad).
The third document is a different kind of Lasting Power of Attorney – it is one that deals with your health and welfare.
This is one last piece of the jigsaw that you can put in place that goes even further towards making sure your wishes are carried our, and making sure distress to your family is minimised.
It may seem a long way away, but such decisions may also be needed earlier in life if you temporally lose capacity. A Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare means not only that you can go a long way towards receiving or avoiding certain treatments, but it also means that your family doesn’t have to make decisions that may cause upset and even conflict later.
To get you onto our Platform, as soon as possible, we offer:
- Fixed prices that bring you certainty as to the cost of getting this protection in place.
- Our Service Pledge commitments at all times as we carry out a thorough exploration of your wishes and circumstances.
- Free secure storage of your documents.
- Regular updates on changes in the law and reminders to you to check whether your circumstances or wishes have changed.
Find out more about our Platform for your Business.
Find out more about our Service Pledge commitment.
Find out more about the three key benefits all our clients receive from us.