APRIL 2005

Enduring power of attorney

Another important thing to do is to sign up to one of these while you are fit and healthy. Or at least as good as you can be and your mind is still sharp and you know who you want to look after your affairs in case you are injured, or stricken with some form of dementia so that you are no longer mentally capable of making decisions about what you want in relation to your personal care and welfare and secondly, separately the retention or disposal of your property.

A Property Enduring Power of Attorney
(with thanks to Public Trust)

A property enduring power of attorney lets you appoint somebody else to act on your behalf in relation to your property.

You can appoint any individual over twenty years of age, or an organisation such as Public Trust, to be your property attorney.
You may allow your attorney to have full or partial control over your assets. The amount of control, and when it comes into effect, is totally up to you.

You decide whether your property enduring power of attorney should come into effect, immediately, at a given time, or, only if you become mentally incapable.

As long as you are capable of doing so, you can cancel or change the conditions of your property enduring power of attorney at any time.

A Personal Care and Welfare Enduring Power of Attorney

A personal care and welfare enduring power of attorney means that someone can make the decisions needed if you can’t look after yourself. This could be because of serious illness or accident.

Only individuals (not organisations) are able to be appointed your attorney. We advise you to select a member of your immediate family, or somebody that you trust implicitly to make the best decisions for you.

A personal care and welfare enduring power of attorney only comes into effect if (and when) you become mentally incapable.
Again you should contact your family lawyer or your local Public Trust Office for advice and for having the Enduring Powers of Attorney drawn up.