Power of Attorney costs: £1000.

[MrBarclay]

We have a "Home counties" solicitor price of £675 plus VAT, plus £82 court costs. It can take 6 months, and you have to pay up front!

Also, add yesterday's doctor's cost for witnessing of £80.

cheers MrB

[Clitheroekid]

We have a "Home counties" solicitor price of £675 plus VAT, plus £82 court costs. It can take 6 months, and you have to pay up front!

That's a total rip-off!

Recent improvements have made LPA's a lot simpler to prepare, and the cost should have reduced proportionately. Most firms in this area (well outside the Home Counties!) would charge a third to a half of that, so I'd shop around a bit.

Or, at the risk once again of robbing my fellow professionals of work, they're really not that difficult to prepare yourself - https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/overview.

And they take nothing like 6 months - perhaps the solicitor hasn't prepared an LPA for a couple of years (and at prices like that I doubt the local populace are beating a path to his door!) but he seems to be unaware of recent changes to the system that mean they are now coming back in 6 to 8 weeks.

[PinkDalek]

And they take nothing like 6 months - perhaps the solicitor hasn't prepared an LPA for a couple of years (and at prices like that I doubt the local populace are beating a path to his door!) but he seems to be unaware of recent changes to the system that mean they are now coming back in 6 to 8 weeks.

Perhaps the 6 months is the time it takes for the particular solicitor to undertake the work.

[JayHoe]

Don't pay a penny more than postage.

Download the forms from the government website. They are straight forward and there is a guide. Fill them in and get several witnesses - we had two - get together and just sign in several places.

Send it in and wait about four weeks.

It is VERY straight forward. I have never done anything like it before but sorted out POA for both Financial and Health for my mum.

Power of Attorney cost me... less than £1.

[Watis]

Don't pay a penny more than postage.

Download the forms from the government website. They are straight forward and there is a guide. Fill them in and get several witnesses - we had two - get together and just sign in several places.

Send it in and wait about four weeks.

It is VERY straight forward. I have never done anything like it before but sorted out POA for both Financial and Health for my mum.

Power of Attorney cost me... less than £1.

So, you haven't registered them yet, then?

Watis

[MrBarclay]

My daughter is a nurse, and she tells me PofAs ( Financial and Health) are widely used in the wards. Full photocopies (each can run to 10 or more pages) are kept with the patients' records by the bed. They don't have be countersigned as copies by a solicitor.
Attorneys (i.e. you) can be phoned, as you won't be in the ward all the time, and the financial ones are used if the patient needs to pay for something.

[MrBarclay]

FT Money podcast today: Show presenter Claer Barrett and guests on lasting powers of attorney,

Short beginning section with solicitor. 2.5 million PofAs in use. Main financial risk is appointing your son!

[JayHoe]

So, you haven't registered them yet, then?

Watis

Yes, they are fully registered. However, what I forgot to mention is in my mum's case, she was exempt from the registration fee (another simple form). However, other than registration fee, there is no need to pay anyone else to do this for you.

Cheers

John

[stewamax]

For reference, there are two types: 'health and welfare' that allows the designed attorney/s to take decisions about healthcare that the individual cannot, and 'property and financial affairs' which is mostly self explanatory. Each one costs £82 (exemptions and repeat registrations apart) and applying online allows you to pay in advance online.
You then print the forms, get them signed and witnessed (they are very simple to complete), and posted.

There is a four-week delay while the attorney et al are notified by letter to let them know that an application has been made and to give them a change to object.
A couple of weeks afterwards the attorney receives registered numbered copies.
And that is that.

I have just done one!

[TahiPanasDua]

We live in Scotland.

My wife and I have joint accounts for almost everything. My understanding is that when one of us goes gaga, the other may not be able to use our joint bank and share accounts if the LPA is in our son's sole name.

Would adding a spouse and our son 's name on each of our LPAs on a joint and several basis solve this problem?

Another question is: can you register your LPA with say your bank while you are still competent or do you have to wait until you are demented?

[DrBunsenHoneydew]

We live in Scotland.

My wife and I have joint accounts for almost everything. My understanding is that when one of us goes gaga, the other may not be able to use our joint bank and share accounts if the LPA is in our son's sole name.

Would adding a spouse and our son 's name on each of our LPAs on a joint and several basis solve this problem?

Another question is: can you register your LPA with say your bank while you are still competent or do you have to wait until you are demented?

In Scotland the LPA is called a Continuing PoA (for finances) or a Combined PoA (including welfare). Continuing (financial) powers can be used by the attorney immediately after the PoA document has been registered. If the PoA is only to be used in the event of your incapacity, it must clearly state that the powers are not to be used until this happens.