The most important document you’ll ever sign... so don’t delay

You don’t wait until your house is burgled before getting home insurance – so why wait until you are ill or unable to manage your affairs before applying for a Power of Attorney?

Too many people put off setting up a Power of Attorney, only discovering its importance when it is too late. A POA is like an insurance policy – there to protect us, it only takes effect when it is required.

Just like any other insurance policy, we hope we never need it. However, when it is needed, we realise we could not have done without it.

Power of Attorney does not give away power. It hands over decision-making about your financial affairs to a spouse, family member or friend if you become ill, unconscious or incapacitated. A POA also gives a trusted person (or persons) authority to make medical decisions on your behalf, when you are no longer able to.

It can take up to 14 weeks to complete applications. Once it is applied for, a Power of Attorney must be written, signed and witnessed before being sent to the Scottish Courts for registration.

Getting registration through Scottish Courts Service is a lengthy process, so you should act now before it is too late, urged Tony Marchi, principal at ILAWS, who processes hundreds of

POAs every month. Tony added: “In some cases it can take up to 14 weeks and this is mostly due to the sheer number of registrations the court has to deal with nowadays.

“In days gone by, arranging a Power of Attorney was for wealthy business people who may be travelling abroad. It’s a different world nowadays and POAs are for everyone.”

NHS Tayside states on its website that “many people are unaware that without Power of Attorney you cannot act for your husband, wife, mother, father or anyone else should they lose capacity. Most other health boards across Scotland are adopting the same practices.”

Tony added: “You cannot wait until something goes wrong before organising this important legal document.

“If you are fit and well, this is the time to get this sorted.

“Don’t wait until you are ill, as it could be too late.

“Applying for a Power of Attorney retrospectively is not possible and there is nothing a solicitor can do if you apply once something has happened except go down a lengthy and extremely expensive guardianship process. Everyone hopes they’ll never need a Power of Attorney but it is difficult to argue against everyone having this protection in place.”

The good news is, it’s easy to arrange.

Tony added: “It only takes a phone call and someone can come to your home to discuss your wishes and concerns. We can then take care of it for you.”

The time to act is now, as ILAWS can organise your Power of Attorney for the significantly reduced cost of £220 (plus £79 for Scottish Court registration fee). Call the number below to begin the process today. Offer ends February 29, 2020