Local solicitor Heledd Wyn from Mowbray Woodwards has issued a warning about the government’s online tool for Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs).
Heledd has raised concerns that the LPA tool will leave people at risk of financial abuse and fraud.
Heledd has joined a number of organisations representing older and vulnerable people to raise serious concerns around the government’s online tool.
An LPA is a powerful legal document that allows a person to appoint trusted individuals to make important decisions about care and finances on their behalf, in the event of a loss of mental capacity through an accident or illness such as dementia.
However a new report, published by a coalition of organisations led by SFE, warns that anyone creating an LPA without taking specialist legal advice faces a significantly higher risk of being left with an ineffective legal document, incurring additional application fees, and even becoming a victim of fraud or coercion.
The report also raises concerns around the potential of a completely digital system proposed by the OPG, whereby ‘wet signatures’ – the physical signing of the document – would no longer be required.
Heledd said: “The prospect of being able to submit an LPA application entirely digitally is extremely concerning, and raises some serious questions around the potential for fraud and financial abuse.”
During a study conducted for the report, participants were invited to create LPAs using the OPG’s online tool and other ‘DIY’ methods. The study revealed that:
– Some of the forms did not accurately express the way in which participants would want their affairs and welfare to be handled in the future.
– Documents made using DIY methods were more likely to contain elementary mistakes, rendering them ineffective and requiring additional application fees.
– Following consultation with a solicitor, most participants made significant changes to the permissions of their documents regarding how and by whom their affairs were managed.
Heledd said: “An LPA is by far the most powerful and important legal document an individual can have, because it allows you to pass potentially life-changing decisions about your affairs on to a third party.
“It’s absolutely right that people should be planning ahead for the future with LPAs, but granting someone this sort of authority over your affairs is an extremely big responsibility for all parties involved. This is a specialist area of the law, and we recommend that anyone considering an LPA goes to a legal expert to ensure they get the right advice, consider all the options, and safeguard themselves for the future.”
To download the report The Real Cost of DIY LPAs go to: sfe.legal
Visit: mowbraywoodwards.co.uk
Main image: Heledd Wyn from Mowbray Woodwards
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