Do you have a Power of Attorney?

What is a Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows a nominated person to act on your behalf when you are unable to do so.  A Power of Attorney can cover financial matters, well-being matters or it can be a joint Power of Attorney to cover both. Most people think of a power of attorney as something elderly people have, however, we believe every adult should have a Power of Attorney in place. 

It may be the case that more elderly people make use of their Power of Attorney but the truth is that we never know when we are going to need that person. Ideally, you want to choose a person that you trust when you are fit and healthy, in sound mind, and know you have made a good decision. 

When might you use your Power of Attorney?

Elderly people will use their Power of Attorney, for example, if they become housebound and want someone else to attend to their bills or banking.  

Younger fit and healthy people, may find they need their Power of Attorney for similar reasons if they have been in an accident and are in hospital. 

There are, of course, more serious reasons for using a Power of Attorney such as ill health but we wanted to show that having a Power of Attorney when you are young can be useful even for short term reasons.  

The solicitors at ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan have written a great Power of Attorney FAQ article that should answer most of your questions.

How do you create a Power of Attorney?

As this is a legal document you should contact a Power of Attorney solicitor. It is normally fairly straightforward and quick to set up.