They really reassured me. I felt I was in good hands

Having a Will in place means your affairs will be handled in exactly the way you want them to be. As an extension to that, Power of Attorney (POA) strengthens that peace of mind, as it means that even in life, a trusted loved one can manage your affairs for you if you’re unable to do so.

Keith McLellan wanted to put measures in place to look after his wife Mary, as he is suffering from terminal cancer. With that in mind, he wanted a Will and a Power of Attorney, as well as a Protected Property Trust. A Trust (or PPT) allows a current occupant to continue living in the property, whilst protecting the capital value for the benefit of others – in this case, Mary.

“I actually have a lawyer, so I wasn’t minded to look elsewhere,” said McLellan. “But then I saw an advert in the paper, which I decided to respond to. ILAWS were everything I was looking for and after one conversation, I felt going with them would be a good idea. They consequently sent someone to my home, as I said I would prefer that.”

Within a matter of days, ILAWS sent a representative to McLellan’s house to discuss his affairs and wishes. “She was absolutely charming,” said McLellan of the ILAWS employee. “She put me immediately at my ease as we came from the same area, and we chatted for a good 20 minutes before we got on to the matter of my affairs.”

As to how his affairs were discussed, McLellan said he was delighted with how it went: “There was absolutely no pushiness, she explained everything very clearly and answered all my questions in great detail – but in a way I could understand.”

He added: “I was particularly concerned about the trust, but she really took the time to go through it with me.”

Talking about the aftercare he received, McLellan said: “After she had left, I read through all the papers for a good half an hour, and actually I had more questions. So, I phoned the office and the man I spoke to suggested

I come in to see him. I did that and he really took the time to listen to everything I had to say. I left feeling full of confidence. They’re really nice people and they really reassured me. I felt I was in good hands.”