Preparing for Christmas – future planning with Wills and LPAs
Whether you love or dread Christmas, most of us are aware that it’s now only 11 weeks away. For a large majority of us, spurred on by the gifts, tins of chocolate and decorations starting to appear in shops, this means it’s now time to start thinking about buying gifts for loved ones, whether we need new decorations, and planning our calendar for those visits to relatives seen twice a year, etc.
Christmas is a busy time of year, but also one that many of us spend with those we care about. But before the Christmas rush starts, it is advisable to provide another gift for our nearest and dearest; the gift of having our affairs in order.
While many of us don’t like to think about what could go wrong, preparing for the worst can help in the future. Dying intestate (without a Will) or losing our capacity without a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place can mean that more time, money and stress will be expended by those who care about us at a time when they are already under enough strain.
So a good gift to your family this year may be to consider writing your Will or putting your LPA in place – or both! The timescales at the Office of the Public Guardian (the organisation responsible for LPAs) are increasing and it currently takes the Office just over 11 weeks to register an LPA, i.e. until Christmas.
Arranging for the relevant documents to be completed and sent off means one less thing to worry about over the festive season, while early preparation also ensures that entering the New Year starts with a more organised you!
For advice and more information on preparing for the future please call our experienced and friendly team on 01473 611211 or email [email protected]