If you’re considering setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney, or LPA, it might be a tough decision – however, setting up your LPA is a smart and compassionate step that can help to safeguard your future and save your loved ones from unnecessary stress and expense. If you’ve decided to make one, the question becomes who exactly should you appoint as your attorney, and should it be more than one person? Here’s our handy guide:
What is an attorney in an LPA?
An LPA, or a lasting power of attorney, appoints one or more individuals to make big decisions on your behalf, should you lose capacity in the future. These decisions could be about your health, wellbeing and care needs, or about your finances and property matters. An LPA is easier to set up these days than it once was, as you can create an LPA online, through companies such as //powerofattorneyonline.co.uk/. An attorney is someone you trust to make those decisions for you, and is often a trusted family member or friend, or sometimes a solicitor.
Why appoint more than one?
Appointing more than one attorney has several benefits that you might consider. The first is that multiple attorneys can share responsibility. After all, making such big decisions for someone else can be stressful, and the support and guidance of another person might help manage overwhelm and guide decisions. With multiple attorneys, there’s also a reduced risk of mistakes or misuse, as they can jointly oversee big decisions. What’s more, if one attorney cannot act, perhaps through illness or moving away, another can step in to act in your best interests.
How can they act?
You can choose how your multiple attorneys act together. They can act jointly, which means they have to agree on every decision. They can act jointly and severally, which means they can both act together or individually, which is a bit more flexible, but still allows for them to come together when needed. Therefore, picking more than one attorney has plenty of benefits to consider.