The world of Wills and Estate Planning can seem a daunting one. Whether you want to make sure your children’s future is protected by appointing guardians should the worst happen, ensure your family home will be safe for your children and/or partner or if you’re concerned about care home fees and making decisions for yourself in the future.
Having questions about Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Estate Planning can be a huge source of worry and stress.
Your questions may include:
- What happens if I die without a Will?
- Can I leave my house to my minor children?
- Should I wait until I’ve completed my family?
- Can my parents sign their house over to me?
- I’m getting married next year – when should I sort out my Will?
All the answers to these questions and any others you may have are simple and easy to understand with a quick call or video appointment.
Often, people who are writing a Will don’t think about what could happen if you lose capacity and are unable to make decisions. Without a Lasting Power of Attorney, nobody can make decisions, access your accounts, sell your property, or pay your bills – not even your spouse!
This can put a heavy burden on your loved ones. Having a Lasting Power of Attorney set up in advance is one of the ways that you can dramatically reduce the stress on your family if this should happen.
So, what is a Lasting Power of Attorney and why do you need one?
Imagine all your financial assets (bank and property) that you own or hold either on your own, or jointly, are frozen! We’ve all had that moment of panic when you think you’ve lost your bank card or logged yourself out of your email and can’t remember the password. Now imagine that reality for a long period of time and on a much larger scale.
Without a Lasting Power of Attorney no one can start making decisions or access your accounts, savings, sell your property or pay your bills, not even your husband or wife! This is usually a shock to most people and a shock at a time when it’s the last thing they need.
Someone can lose capacity at the drop of a hat, it’s not always a long-drawn-out process. At this time, the absolute last thing your loved one’s need is a battle over your property and finances. Setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney while you have the capacity to do so allows your chosen loved ones to be able to make these decisions on your behalf, taking away any additional worry or stress at a difficult time.
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I’m Nicole, a Will Writer and Estate Planner. I pride myself on being professional and knowledgeable, with an open and honest ‘no fuss’ approach.
If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch with me for a relaxed and informal chat. Alternatively, I’m also happy to WhatsApp or to schedule a video appointment if you’d prefer. And yes, before you ask, I do do evening appointments – just as soon as the kids are tucked up in bed!
For more information, or to discuss any of the topics covered above, please get in touch via my email address: nicole@thewillguys.co.uk.