Find peace of mind before health fails - Enduring Power of Attorney - Andersons Solicitors Nottingham

Many people will have felt moved while watching the sudden deterioration of Coronation Street’s Mike Baldwin being played out on our television screens. We’ve seen him go from a hard-headed businessman to a pitifully forgetful and confused shadow of his former self because of Alzheimer’s Disease. Sadly, the portrayal in the popular TV soap was an all too realistic experience for many families. The pain and anguish of the sufferer is matched by the pain of the family as they struggle to cope. One person in 20 between the ages of 70 and 80 suffers from dementia and these figures are expected to rise over the next two decades. While the illness may increase unabated, many of the practical problems it creates can be alleviated if the sufferer makes legal arrangements before the illness develops and takes hold. You need to establish what’s known as an enduring power of attorney. It means that you choose someone and give them the legal right to manage your affairs on your behalf. That person can then do things like withdraw money from your bank, sign cheques and sell property. Obviously you need to do this when you are still healthy and mentally alert. That way you can choose the person you feel you can trust to act in your best interests. If you leave it too late, the matter becomes far more complicated and as portrayed all too dramatically on Coronation Street, can lead to disputes and difficulties. If your family needs to deal with any financial affairs on your behalf they would have to go to court to nominate a receiver. This can be expensive and time-consuming, often at a time when the family are still struggling to cope with the needs of the sufferer. Yet it’s easy and inexpensive to deal with the matter if you consult your solicitor before you fall ill. Sadly, we have no way of knowing when and if the illness will strike, but at least we know we can reduce the stress and suffering of family members by planning ahead.

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