Guardianship... What is it?

Guardianship...

One of the reasons that parents do not make a will is because of the uncertainty around "Guardianship", guardians are people chosen to look after your offspring (under the age of 18) in the event of your death. Very often when we discuss this with clients they disagree as to who should look after the children, usually both favouring their own parents!

Whilst this may be fine, very often parents are aged, and the question you should be asking yourself is will they be able to deal with the day to day commitments of looking after young children. If you do not have an up to date will then it is likely that the family courts will become involved in the appointment! This could lead to problems after your death, the court may not choose the person or people you would ideally like to look after your children, plus of course the intended guardian/s would not be aware that this is your wish, which ultimately could lead to disputes in the family.

So what is the solution? Simple you just need to appoint suitable guardians in your will, you can also leave a letter of wishes stipulating how you would like the appointed guardians to deal with various issues, for instance schooling, financial decisions etc.

If you would like to discuss this in more detail please call us on 0845 200 2981

Lasting Power of Attorney

What's a Power of Attorney?

You can arrange a Power of Attorney whilst you have the mental capacity to decide who you would like to look after your financial affairs in the event that you were unable to through disability or illness. There are two types of Power of Attorney, they are Personal Welfare and Property and Financial Affairs, Personal Welfare would allow for decisions to be made in respect of healthcare arrangements and personal welfare, whilst Property and Financial Affairs will allow for decisions to be made in respect of your money and property.

It is a common misconception that it is only the older generation who needs to effect a Power of Attorney, have you ever wondered who would deal with your affairs in the event that you were involved in a car accident, or you suddenly had a stroke or some form of dementia? The person/s you appoint to be your attorney should be trustworthy, you should believe that they will deal with your interests with your best interests at heart. An attorney's role carries a lot of responsibility and power and this should be borne in mind when thinking about who you would like to choose.

To discuss this in more detail please call 0845 200 2981, or click here to leave your contact details.

According to a leading professional advice website*, 57% of the adult UK population (28 million adults) have not made a Will! With "National Will Week" just finishing don't let that be an excuse for not making yours. Click here http://hip-notic.co.uk/wills.html to get a online Will for as little as £33.95 *source = unbiased.co.uk