David Webb, Director and Head of Wills, Probate & Older Client services at Mander Hadley Solicitors
Earlier this year, research published by the Alzheimer’s Society revealed that there are currently around 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. In its report, the charity estimated that this number would hit one million by the year 2025, as the number of new dementia cases continues to rise.
In light of the research, David Webb, Director and Head of Wills, Probate & Older Client services at Mander Hadley Solicitors, is advising families in Coventry and Warwickshire to plan ahead for all eventualities.
“Life can be incredibly unpredictable, and an accident resulting in a long term or permanent injury or a long term illness will always be very stressful for families,” David said.
“At times such as these, the last thing families need is to be worrying about is who will take care of a person’s financial and property affairs in the event they have lost mental capacity. The same goes for their health and welfare affairs,” he added.
David said that families should consider the importance of LPAs; important legal documents which can enable individuals to appoint a trusted relative or close friend to take care of these affairs in the event they lose mental capacity at a later date.
“These documents, which can be set up at absolutely any time, can prove vital if a person’s health takes a turn for the worse at a later date,” David said.
“However, the rules governing LPAs can be confusing and there are a number of steps families need to take in order to correctly register an LPA.
“Due to this, families should always seek specialist legal advice from someone well-placed to understand their unique circumstances and walk them through the process.
“If there is no LPA in place, then it might become necessary for the Court of Protection to be involved. This is an expensive option involving a large amount of red tape,” he said.
