The Ministry of Justice has made it cheaper for people in England and Wales to apply for a lasting power of attorney (LPA), with the announcement that there is to be 15% cut in the application fee.
From 1st October 2013 the application fees for registering either LPAs or the older enduring powers of attorney (EPA) will be reduced from £130 to £110.
LPAs and EPAs are legal documents that allow the applicant to appoint someone they know and trust to make decisions about their health and welfare or financial affairs if they were to lose capacity in the future.
The position is slightly different in Scotland, where there are three main types of power of attorney:
- A simple power of attorney;
- A continuing power of attorney; and
- A welfare power of attorney.
Like LPAs and EPAs. continuing and welfare powers of attorney relate to the granter’s financial affairs and welfare issues respectively and, as in England, they must be registered in order to be effective. The application fee for this in Scotland, payable to the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland), is currently around £70.
“It is really important that people consider making a lasting power of attorney – it means that as they get older, or if they have issues with their health, they have the peace of mind from knowing that the important decisions about their life will be taken by someone they know and trust, if they ever lost capacity,” said Justice Minister Helen Grant.
Contact our Family Lawyers
If you need advice on whether a power of attorney is right for you, contact our family law solicitors based in Edinburgh, Scotland – click here to contact us or telephone 0131 202 7516.
