Certifying a copy of LPOA

[JamieFrasersSassenach]

Hi,

I need to get a photocopy of DM's Power of Attorney documents certified.

I am the only named attorney and DM drew it up herself (refused to pay a solicitor to do it.)

DM has lost capacity now and is living in a care home. So far I have used the OPG online to get an online code to notify the bank, local authoritiy etc.

Sky need a certified copy of the POA documents for me to cancel DM's contract with them - currently just under £100 a month is going to them via DD for phone, broadband and TV - I need to cancel the phone and TV and put the broadband on the cheapest deal (simply to enable the HIVE thermostat to continue working.)

I can't find anyone who is willing to certify a copy - I naively thought that I could pay a solicitor to certify a copy for me, but having contacted several different firms they all tell me that unless they drew the document up then they will not certify a copy.

Can anyone advise what I need to do please?

Would the post office be able to ? I know they certify identification.

You can get an official copy from the office of the public guardian.

www.gov.uk/opg

Thank you both - the OPG seems to only provide a certified copy if the original has been lost, I will email them to find out for certain.

I think I'm just bemused by solicitors refusing to charge me to certify a copy of an original document - the original which they can see, because they did not prepare it. I just thought that they would charge to certify a copy of any official document.

I would actually challenge skys interpretation. The online code for lasting powers of attorney should be sufficient as it’s linked to Office of public guardian. On skys website it doesn’t say they won’t accept the code.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/third-party-assistance

Thanks @Avidreader12 you are correct that it doesn't - but I don't believe that I can select Sky on the OPG website for a code?

I might be missing something but for the other agencies I have informed I had to select them from a list which then generated a unique code valid for X number of days, I then provided the bank/company with that code.

I will have another try to see if I can generate a code specifically for Sky.

Online lasting poa codes last for 30 days if you have generated one in the last 30 days it will be fine to give them it. If they login to access they will put their organisation in so shouldn’t matter.

Their admin time/costs of doing so are probably more than they'd be able to charge. I presume you wouldn't be willing to pay more than a nominal amount for them to do it. Yet they'd have to comply with their professional regulations, money laundering and proceeds of crime legal requirements to check your identity, "know your client" evaluation, etc etc. It really isn't as simple as walking in with a piece of paper and getting the receptionist to sign a photocopy of it. It used to be that simple, but solicitors (and other regulated professionals) are now highly regulated and monitored and face huge fines if they don't dot the i's and cross the t's. I'm an accountant and we wouldn't do it either for a random "walk in" off the street because of the above. Of course, we'd happily do it free of charge for an existing client as we already know them, already have ID proof, "know your client", due diligence etc on our files, so in that case, it really would just be a case of a 2 minute job of writing on the copy and signing/stamping it.

I believe the post offices can do certified copies of some documents, so perhaps go into your local post office to ask if they're allowed to do certified copies of LPOA's. You never know.

When my mum went into a care home. I just emailed them pretending to be my mum. They cancelled no problem. I even sent it with my email as my mum didn't have Internet. I just said I was using my daughters email can I cancel as I am going into a care home.

The post office should do it.

Solicitors won't because there's a huge amount of liability that could come back to them if it was fraudulently prepared

Thanks all - very happy to pay for a copy to be certified. Continuing to pay Sky £100 a month is racking up so whatever it costs I'd pay to be honest.

I had no trouble getting one certified by a local solicitor which my Mum had prepared herself. How odd. The local law firm charged me £10 a copy and I got 5 or 6 so I had plenty

Maybe try a few more firms? Perhaps a smaller place might be more flexible?

I suspect the issue is that as your mother no longer has capacity, she is not able to be a party to certifying the copy.

My mother and I made a certified copy by copying the POA with an additional section at the bottom of the last page, stating we all agreed it was a true copy, signed by her (as donor), me (as attorney), and with our signatures witnessed by a neighbour.

My father's solicitor just certified as true copy. Didn't involve me or him at all.

I've used POA for 3 organisations. There was no drop down list when getting the code...I just typed it in. The organisation just go onto the view a POA page on the gov.uk website and type in the code which I give them and a copy comes up.