Lasting Power of Attorney

A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you (the ‘donor’) appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help you make decisions or make decisions on your behalf.

This gives you more control over what happens to you if, for example, you have an accident or an illness and can’t make decisions at the time they need to be made (you ‘lack mental capacity’).

What are the benefits of making a LPA?

An LPA allows you to plan in advance

• The decisions you want to be made on your behalf if/when you lose capacity to make yourself.
• The people you want to make these decisions.
• How you want the people to make these decisions.

Who can be my attorney?

Your attorney can be anyone aged 18 or over, for example:

• A family member.
• A friend.
• A professional.
• Your spouse, partner or civil partner.

Who can make a lasting power of attorney?

Anyone aged 18 or over can make a lasting power of attorney. You must make it as an individual two or more people cannot make a joint LPA.

What is meant by the term “Donor”?

The person making the lasting power of attorney is legally referred to as the ‘donor’.

How Many Attorneys Can I Have in an LPA?

You can appoint up to four Attorneys, who can act either on a joint basis, or joint and severally, depending on your own preference. You can place restrictions on what attorneys can do for you and also provide them guidance on how they should act on your behalf.