With the world in the grip of the coronavirus, many of our clients tell us that they have now been forced to consider securing their finances and welfare. Although the most important thing for us all to do right now is take proper care of ourselves and our nearest and dearest, we must also consider being proactive in arranging important documents.
Most people are only too aware of the consequences of not having a Will in place. Making sure that your assets will pass to the loved ones you want to receive them after your death is critical during crisis times. You don’t want to make things any more difficult then they need to be, and avoiding costly and timeconsuming processes like probate takes on heightened importance when your family might end up confined to your homes in a quarantine situation.
Tony Marchi, principal at ILAWS Scotland, says: “A Will is something almost everyone knows they need, however, some people are still unaware of the importance of granting Power of Attorney and, among those who are aware, there is a common misconception that they don’t need to appoint an attorney as they still have full capacity.”
However, you can only grant a Power of Attorney if you have capacity. If you have an accident or an ongoing medical problem which leaves you incapable of looking after your own affairs, it’s too late.
Through the NHS, several regions in Scotland have now formally announced that if you are unable to make your own medical decisions then your spouse or family won’t be allowed to make them for you without a Power of Attorney in place. A recent campaign in partnership between
appointment for an ILAWS specialist to come to her house in West Dunbartonshire to go through the process with her in person — all at her convenience. “They asked me when suited me, which was very good of them,” adds Jean.
And in the end, the visit took just over half an hour.
Of the process, Jean said: “They explained everything to me, step by step.
“I was just pleased with how simple it was and how straightforward it all was. It wasn’t anything difficult.”
She was also impressed with the aftercare shown by ILAWS, who phoned her to check how everything had gone: “It wasn’t just a case of taking your money and that’s the end of it. That was quite nice.”
Now since Jean’s finalised her POA, her sister and sister-in-law have also done the same, and everyone’s pleased to have it sorted.