COVID-19 has undoubtedly had an impact on everything in our lives. Making Lasting Power of Attorney (LPAs) during the pandemic was an aspect that the government needed to address. This is because the subject of Wills and other legal documents is likely to be on people’s minds during this time.

Why LPAs Are Important

A Lasting Power of Attorney document is a document which allows you to appoint people to make decisions for you. This is if you lose the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself. There are two types of LPA; a property and financial LPA and a health and welfare LPA. They are both important, as they allow people you trust to make decisions on your behalf regarding your finances, property, where you want to live, and how you would like to be cared for should you lose mental capacity.

Many people think that if they lose mental capacity, then their Next of Kin can make decisions for them. Unfortunately, that is not the case. If you do not have an LPA set in place, then your family have to go through a long application process for someone to be appointed your deputy. In this case, the law will choose someone to be the Deputy, so it is important that you have chosen someone already.

Changes in Making LPAs During the Pandemic

We reported earlier in the year when the government temporarily made video witnessing for Will writing legal due to the pandemic. This change will last for two years. The change was also backdated to include any Wills written from January 2020. Unfortunately the same rule is not in place for LPA documents, which has left a lot of people unable to make LPAs during the two lockdowns.

There have, however, been some changes when the lockdown restrictions lift. According to the government’s website, you can now make the documents. The LPAs can now be witnessed in a safe, socially distanced manner. This is in accordance with the tier guidelines that are currently in place up and down the country.

Rise in People Making LPAs During the Pandemic

There has been a rise in people making Wills due to the pandemic, and many of these people are also making LPAs. This is likely due to people now thinking about getting their affairs in order. The pandemic has affected many areas of our lives. So people are now focusing on making sure that they take care of everything the way they would like.

This rise has led people to start seeking out legal advice when it comes to making their LPAs. We may be able to help if you are also looking to get your affairs in order.

How We Can Help

Here at The Inheritance Experts, we work with solicitors who deal with all manner of inheritance cases. This includes Lasting Power of Attorney documents. They have years of experience dealing with inheritance matters. Contact us today by filling in our contact form, or call us on 01614138763 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.