Wills
Your will lets you decide what happens to your money, property and possessions after your death.
If you make a will you can also make sure you do not pay more Inheritance Tax than you need to.
You can write your will yourself, but it is prudent to have it written by a solicitor. Ashford Advice have a resident solicitor who can write a professional will. Call 01233 626 185 for further information
You need to get your will formally witnessed and signed to make it legally valid
If you want to update your will, you need to make an official alteration (called a ‘codicil’) or make a new will.
If you die without a will, the law decides who gets what.
Power of Attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you (the ‘donor’) appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.
This gives you more control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions (you ‘lack mental capacity’).
There are 2 types of LPA:
- health and welfare
- property and financial affairs
You can choose to make one type or both.
You can make a lasting power of attorney (LPA) online or using paper forms.
Either way, you need to get other people to sign the forms, including the attorneys and witnesses.
You can get someone else to use the online service or fill in the paper forms for you, for example a family member, friend or solicitor. Ashford Advice have a resident solicitor who can complete the forms on your behalf. Please call 01233 626 185 for further information
There is a fee for this service (£82.00/PoA to Office of the Public Guardian and £150.00/PoA solicitors fee)
You must register or your attorney will not be able to make decisions for you.