Keeping up with powers of attorney

Post by Mearns & Company in News

The number of people registering a power of attorney dropped by 30% during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A power of attorney is a legal document citing who will be responsible for your financial welfare or personal care if you are no longer able to make these decisions. As Covid hit it became more difficult to complete these forms which require the signatures of the person setting up the power of attorney the certificate provider and the individual (or individuals) appointed as attorney. Donor and attorney signatures also needed to be independently witnessed.

Covid protocols

However, guidance introduced to combat these difficulties now enables people, particularly those who might be shielding for health reasons, to complete these processes in a more Covid-secure way.

Tailor the power of attorney to you

You don’t need to be old or in ill-health, however, to set up a power of attorney. It can be set up so that your attorneys can start making decisions on your behalf straight away, or not until such time as you are deemed to have lost mental capacity.