Power of Attorney - any hints and tips?

[h0rsewithn0name]

I'm at the very early stages of looking at this for my mum, for both finance and health/welfare. Although mum is elderly, she is bright as a button thankfully. I just wondered if you could fire at me your hints and tips, as this is pretty far out of my comfort zone.

For context, I have one brother who lives locally. We have a good relationship, although we're not close. My other brother lives overseas and would not expect to be named as an attorney.

Thank you.

mrshoho thanks. I thought as much. I can’t even imagine how hard it would be to get his signature and get it sent back when the post is so slow and takes months if it does ever appear.

Does anybody know how long they are taking to be processed at the moment?

Sorry, can I jump in for Dh and me. We started doing both last year then Covid and witnessing got difficult so stopped. Saved on line ready to start up again but confused now. So if we do online we submit and then we are sent documents to sign? In other words found doing forms fine but what is the next online stage after they are filled in? Our sol quoted so much it made no sense to use them when we are capable (ha!)

PIL say they have set up DH and SIL to be POA, however they've never had to sign anything in agreement. It would have been done through a solicitor if true. No notification of any kind either from the OPG about it over the years.
Are they spinning us a yarn?

@cptartapp

PIL say they have set up DH and SIL to be POA, however they've never had to sign anything in agreement. It would have been done through a solicitor if true. No notification of any kind either from the OPG about it over the years. Are they spinning us a yarn?

Actually thinking about it DH was POA for FIL and he didn’t sign anything.

Also DH was executor for FIL Will and didn’t know it.

Get lots of certified copies (read the notes that come with it) as it's really helpful to have lots when you need to activate / use it.

POA for health is VERY useful.

Elderly relative of DH's had one for finance but not health. This relative went from living independently to hospital after an accident, and then into care (having lost both physical and mental capacity as a result of the accident).

The discharge team at the hospital, in the absence of the LPA for health, did not have to discuss where the relative was discharged to, and as a result they were discharged to a place that (while not actively unsuitable in terms of what they provided) was absolutely not somewhere that anyone would have wanted. It took a long time - essentially until the funding of the placement came within the finance LPA - before a better placement could be arranged, by which time relative had declined very, very significantly in an avoidable manner.

GET BOTH IN PLACE, and at least have an informal conversation or a written letter that states preferences, even if your relative does not want to put them into the form itself.

The attorney signs section 11 of the finance form so (now at least) you can't be an attorney and not know about it.

@Roystonv I think you print it and sign it (donor, certificate provider, attorneys) rather than them sending you the form to sign. It's been nearly a year since I did them and I've slept since then so I'm too vague to be reliable.

We're in the process of getting both POAs for MIL. We used wills.which.co.uk who provide extra info on the form as you fill it in & check it for you before you get it witnessed & sent off. We sent off both on April & have just had the Finance one back. The Health one was rejected because MIL has overwritten the second 2 in 2021 in one of the date boxes! So we're just getting all the signatures done for a second time. So this is not a last minute process!

Thank you for response.