My family now has peace of mind. Why didn’t we think of doing this before? – Peter Henderson, 70, West Calder
For Peter Henderson and his family, organising a Power of Attorney was always something they intended to do, but never got around to doing it – until last year.
After seeing regular features in P.S. magazine about this important legal document, which allows you to assign a trusted family member or friend to carry out important medical and financial decisions on your behalf when you are unable to, Mr Henderson decided to take the plunge.
The 70-year-old is one of scores of Scottish retirees to take advantage of the discounted price of £220 for a Power of Attorney from ILAWS, a firm which specialises in estate planning, Will writing and organising POAS for its clients.
The price of £220 (plus £79 for a Scottish Courts registration fee) is heavily reduced and only available from ILAWS for another two weeks (until February 29). It is a small price to pay for peace of mind, as Mr Henderson points out: “As you get older, you need some backing up and protection. I initially approached ILAWS for a Power of Attorney for my sister, Isobel, and I got one as well. Now, she will act for me and I will act for her.
“My niece will also act on my behalf, as you can nominate more than one Power of Attorney. At 82, our step-brother is a little older and stays on his own, so he also organised one.
“Now if anything happens, we have the right to deal with things.
“We have always known about Power of Attorney and the family has spoken about it many times before. We get The Sunday Post and we kept reading about ILAWS and how important Power of Attorney is, so we contacted ILAWS because as you get older you need someone to look after you.”
The retiree civil servant, who worked for West Lothian Council as a gardener for almost 40 years, felt the process was simple and straightforward, which is important when dealing with personal affairs and financial documents.
The keen gardener, from West Calder in West Lothian, added: “An expert from ILAWS came to our house and did all the explaining.
“It all took 40-50 minutes and nothing was a problem to her. It was all done so quickly. I am glad it is in place as I feel more relaxed now and it is a weight off all our minds – I just wish we got it done years ago, instead of talking about it.”
After the initial meeting, Power of Attorneys for Peter, Isobel and their step-brother were all sent to the Scottish Courts for registering.
Because of the large number of POA applications being lodged at any one time, it can take several months for the Courts to finalise, so it is better to act now before you need one.
Now everything has been concluded, Mr Henderson is keen to advise other people in their 60s and 70s without a Power of Attorney in place to “go for it”.
If you are considering organising a Power of Attorney for yourself, or have a family member who could benefit from one, contact ILAWS on the number below before February 29 to take advantage of the special price of £220 (plus £79 court registration fee)