Arranging Power of Attorney

Power of Attorney lets you arrange for someone you trust to manage your finances on your behalf. You may want to do this due to a change in your health or a change in your circumstances, such as moving abroad. You may not need someone to help you now, but you can set up a Power of Attorney for the future, just in case. 

There are different types of Power of Attorney, and you may want to arrange more than one:

Ordinary Power of Attorney is typically used to cover a temporary period, such as a hospital stay or holiday, or for those who find it hard to get to a branch. Ordinary Power of Attorney can only be used while you can make your own decisions.

Lasting Power of Attorney is typically used to give someone the legal authority over your finances if you lose your mental capacity. You can also plan for it to come into force at a future time.

Court of Protection is used when you lose your mental capacity and have no Power of Attorney in place. The Court of Protection can appoint someone to make decisions on your behalf. The UK government has provided some useful guidance on this process

Here’s how you might use the different types of Power of Attorney

This may be used if you:	Ordinary Power of Attorney	Last Power of Attorney	Court of Protection Order
Just need some short term help
Are abroad and won't have access to your accounts
Are physically ill, injured or disabled
Are preparing for when you'll be unable to make decisions
Have lost your mental capacity