A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal tool that allows you to state who you would like to make decisions on your behalf, should you become unable to do so in the future. It lets you choose a person or people you trust to act for you. This person is referred to as your attorney.

There are two different types of LPA: Property and Affairs LPA and Health and Welfare LPA. Each type covers different decisions and there are separate application forms for each. You can choose to make both types or just one. You can have the same attorney for both, or you can have different attorneys.

Generally speaking, someone can lack mental capacity if they have an injury, disorder or condition that affects the way their mind works. This could mean they have difficulty making decisions all of the time or that it might take them a long time to make a decision. It is important to put LPA’s in place well before somone’s capacity to make decisions becomes and issue.

For a much more indepth look at the benefits of an LPA see our blog post here.