Often, with people living ever longer, it is necessary to carry out certain specific legal duties on behalf of the elderly in order to ensure that their wishes are carried out.

Where a person has become incapacitated, for example, we can act on their behalf in order to complete any matters that may be in train. Through mechanisms such as ‘lasting power of attorney’ you can trust us to ensure your wishes are adhered to.

A lasting power of attorney is a legal process in which you hand over to someone else the power to decide what is done with your financial affairs and property. The person you appoint is known as the ‘attorney’. They can use the power straight away, if you want; or you can make it clear that it is only to be used if you become mentally unable to manage your affairs in the future.

As specialists in this area, Wyn Hughes, our senior partner, has been appointed as a member of the Receivers Panel by the Office of Public Guardian, in order to protect and control the administration of property and the financial affairs of persons incapable of doing so themselves.

We are also members of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), an unique organisation enabling practitioners who specialise in this area to sign up to the SFE Code of Practice, providing expertise in, for example:
Consent, capacity and substituted decision-making;
Financial planning, including retirement and long-term care; and
Housing and community care issues.

One area of great concern, for example, is the funding of a place in a care home. There are a multitude of integrated financial, legal and regulatory factors affecting individual circumstances. All these need to be analysed and applied as appropriate. Add to this issues such as nursing and residential care and you can see just how complex and important this area can be.

For more information, or to discuss the other services we offer the elderly (such as wills, trusts etc), please either phone or click the hotlink below.