People are urged to make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and help a charitable cause as a Lancashire-law firm waives its usual fees in exchange for a donation to Rossendale Hospice.
The Lasting Power of Attorney month initiative will see WHN Solicitors waive £120 from the fees of every LPA made between June 1-29, in return for a donation of the same amount to the hospice.
Taking place across the firm’s Haslingden, Rawtenstall and Bacup offices, the charity LPA writing scheme aims to make people think about who would make important decisions for them if they couldn’t do so themselves, while racking up much-needed funds for the charity.
Berin Jones, director at WHN Solicitors, which has seven offices across Lancashire and Greater Manchester, said: “A lot of people wrongly think a Lasting Power of Attorney is only for the elderly, but because they can only be set up when an individual has mental capacity, if you don’t appoint one and are later incapable of managing your finances, your assets will effectively be frozen.
“This can cause difficulties so it’s just as important for those who are healthy and of sound mind to have proper plans in place for the future.
“Rossendale Hospice relies on the generosity of local people and support of businesses to continue operating, so we’re more than happy to extend a hand of help, while raising awareness of the importance of LPAs.”
Irene Smith, chief executive officer at Rossendale Hospice, added: “At the hospice we encourage our patients to talk about their wishes at end of life and to put things in place which will give them and family members peace of mind.
“A Power of Attorney allows your loved ones to take care of you and your finances if you become unable to do so yourself, so we’re pleased to be working with WHN Solicitors to raise the profile of the benefits of a Power of Attorney, which is particularly helpful for patients suffering from dementia. It’s something we should all consider now, to avoid issues in later years”
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document enabling one or more people to make decisions on a person’s behalf if they lose capacity to do so themselves.
There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney covering different areas of decision making – one for property and financial affairs, and the other for health and welfare.
A property and financial LPA gives people complete freedom to decide who they would feel comfortable with the responsibility of dealing with their financial affairs, while a health and welfare LPA would enable the appointed attorney to have the power to make decision about heath and care, such as where you live, day to day care or medical treatment.
