In a recent story reported by BBC News a brain-injured woman has been pursued by bailiffs.
How exasperating matters can be if you temporarily or permanently lose your mental capacity to manage your own property and financial affairs. Surely common sense should prevail and the utility company should realise that the person with whom they have contact is only trying to help his temporarily incapacitated friend.
However, we recommend that everyone should put a Lasting Power of Attorney into place as one never knows if you are going to end up in the situation like this through no fault of your own. Many financial institutions or utility companies will take limited instructions whilst a Power of Attorney is put into place but because making an Power of Attorney and registering it takes at least 6 – 8 weeks, why wouldn’t you be prepared to complete an official legal document early to avoid such a stressful situation.
Amicuslaw provide comprehensive legal advice about Powers of Attorney and loss of mental or physical capacity. We can advise you of the process to make sure your affairs are in order whilst you have both mental/physical capacity and if you lose it, be it only in the short term or for good. Our team also advise about Deputyship Orders and Applications to the Court of Protection where perhaps capacity has been lost and no Power of Attorney had been put into place already.
Amicus Law, Yeovil
01935 426047