Having Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) in place gives you protection for your future welfare, but increasingly people are making errors in their applications that can lead to unnecessary delays or complete rejection of applications.

This is why you should always enlist the help of a professional to make the application for you

Many people realise that having LPA’s in place is a sensible step when it comes to planning their future however, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) where LPA’s are registered have reported that there are an increasing number of errors being made with applications.

In fact, fully 15% of applications contain mistakes that could be avoided if an expert such as Savigny had been used.

What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

An LPA allows someone you have appointed to make decisions on your behalf should you become mentally incapacitated.

There are two types of LPA, Health and Welfare, and Property and Financial Affairs. To ensure peace of mind for your future welfare you should take out both types.

If you become mentally incapacitated without an LPA in place your family will have to apply for a Deputyship Order to the Court of Protection so they can make decisions on your behalf, a lengthy process where you can’t be certain that someone you want and trust will be appointed.

The 8 most common reported errors when applying for an LPA

The OPG have highlighted the eight most common errors people make when applying for an LPA themselves, all easily avoided if you use a professional to help you.

1. Missing and mixed-up pages: especially when people apply for both the Health and Welfare LPA and Property and Finance LPA at the same time they tend to mix up pages from the different forms. It’s all paper based rather than online so missing and mixed pages will mean you have to start from scratch.
2. Signing the application in the wrong order: There are a lot of places on the application where a signature is needed, sometimes continuation sheets are necessary and they need to be signed in what can seem like a strange sequence so it’s easy to get it wrong.
3. Using family members as Certificate Providers: a certificate provider is there to make sure you understand what you are signing and not being forced into it. They sign and witness the document but cannot be a family member. It can however be one of our professionals at Savigny.
4. Using initials instead of full names and not signing in the correct boxes: easy mistakes to make and easy to overlook when checking back, but a mistake you can be confident a Savigny professional who has completed the forms many times before will not make.
5. Using pencil, Tippex and photocopies: the OPG will not accept any applications that are not written in pen, have correction fluid on them or are photocopies unless certified. They are very strict with what is acceptable so it’s best to take the time with a professional to get it right.
6. Bound applications: because applications are individually scanned page by page the OPG doesn’t like them bound in any way, even with staples. It may look neater but could delay your application.
7. Being unclear in the life sustaining treatment section: this isn’t just a tick box on the health and welfare form, you actually need to specify what decisions your attorney can make. If it isn’t clear or has contradictory answers the application will be rejected.
8. Contradictions in instructions: when completing the forms yourself, it’s easy to make the mistake of giving contradictory instructions, some of which may be unlawful. It’s also easy to become confused with the powers of Joint and Several attorneys and who should be appointed to what role. In both of these situations the advice and assistance from a Savigny professional will clarify the situation.

Using Savigny to apply for your Lasting Powers of Attorney

Doing it yourself may sound like an attractive proposition but rather like putting up the proverbial shelf it is easy to make an unintended mistake that results in having to start all over again.

There are enough decisions to make when thinking about appointing your attorneys without having to stress about how the form needs to be completed.

Using a professional with years of experience, such as one of the experts at Savigny Will Writers means that your applications will be correctly completed and filed without you having to worry if you have got the process right.

We are also able to give you advice about what exactly it means to take out an LPA, how they work and when they apply.

At Savigny we believe that everyone should be treated with respect, kindness and receive a caring personal service. We are happy to spend time with you, understanding your needs and helping you to correctly fill out forms and applications so you can be confident it’s done correctly.

For more information or if you would like to apply for Lasting Powers of Attorney please contact Savigny Will Writers today.