Power of Attorney irregularities

[Slow.Patrol]

Started listening to this podcast yesterday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025vpv?partner...

Ended up binging the whole series. It will be interesting to see how the police deal with this. Even if half of the stories are true, it is really bad.

For those that don't have time to listen to the podcast, read the following.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3zd40kdgyo

[anonymous-user]

On balance much better to have LPAs in place. Often by the time you know you need one it's too late.

Choose your attorney carefully.

[Boringvolvodriver]

Forester1965 said:

On balance much better to have LPAs in place. Often by the time you know you need one it's too late.

Choose your attorney carefully.

Totally agree - without an LPA my wife would have had real difficulties with her Mum who had dementia.

We already have ours in place (I am 64) and appointed each other as attorney with the kids as the reserves.

Unless you know the person concerned then it is potentially a risk although as a recent TV programme we watched revealed, even giving it to a relative can be fraught with danger.

[av185]

Anyone stupid enough to appoint their solicitor/fake solicitor as LPA is effectively giving them an open chequebook to drain the account.

[Simpo Two]

av185 said:

Anyone stupid enough to appoint their solicitor/fake solicitor as LPA is effectively giving them an open chequebook to drain the account.

Now imagine you have dementia and no relatives to help.

Hopefully My Hiller will be eating prison food.

[alscar]

av185 said:

Anyone stupid enough to appoint their solicitor/fake solicitor as LPA is effectively giving them an open chequebook to drain the account.

There have been various threads on here and in the news where it isn’t just solicitors that have been draining accounts which is why selection of the LPA is rather important.

[Vasco]

I've had a LPA for years, as have others in the family. It's an absolute essential and too many overlook it until it's too late.
Just be absolutely sure that the persons nominated to look after your affairs will do that, at all times.

[silentbrown]

Simpo Two said:

Now imagine you have dementia and no relatives to help.

Hopefully My Hiller will be eating prison food.

Indeed. The LPA process requires you to consult with a "certificate provider" to confirm that you understand what you're doing and not being coerced into it, to prevent this kind of abuse.

If you're doing the LPA yourself, this would normally be a friend or relative. Solicitors in the same firm as the attorney can't perform this.

Doing LPA's isn't cheap, but gets hugely more expensive if you get solicitors involved in any way, even just filling the forms.