When a party fails to disclose assets in divorce proceedings, the courts are entitled to draw appropriate inferences from the non-disclosure. This was demonstrated in a recent case in which the Family Court described the husband's conduct of the...
When you are caring for someone who is not able to look after all their needs themselves, you often need to know about the legal side of things and find out how you can help to sort out all the things that need dealing with. Our specialist lawyers are used to assisting carers in resolving legal issues, and below are a few of the many things we can do to help.
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs)
These allow a person to delegate power to someone else to make decisions for them if in future they can’t make their own decisions. LPA’s can be made in relation to your Property and Finances and Health and Welfare decisions. The person you are caring for may need to make an LPA in case they have an accident or become confused and are no longer legally able to deal with their own affairs.
Deputyship
When you are caring for someone who is not able to look after all their needs themselves, you often need to know about the legal side of things and find out how you can help to sort out all the things that need dealing with. We are used to assisting carers in resolving legal issues, and below are a few of the many things we can do to help.
If the person you care for has become mentally incapable of making an LPA but their finances or property need dealing with then someone will have to apply to the Court to be made their Deputy. The process takes months, and can be very expensive. It is therefore much better that they make an LPA and then they can decide who they trust to deal with their affairs.
Wills
When a family member becomes a carer perhaps for elderly parents, sometimes the whole family agrees that the carer should have a larger part of the property of the parents once they die. Alternatively, the rest of the family may be suspicious and think the carer might have an ulterior motive. To avoid a dispute, it’s important that the parents make the sort of will which they want, and where they try to be fair to everyone.
Often we act for carers who are parents of an adult child who might be unable to look after themselves or their finances.In that case, often what the parents need is a trust for their child in their wills. Once both parents have died, the trust can provide financial help or even a roof over the child’s head without giving the child the responsibility of managing things themselves, and without affecting any means tested benefits they receive.
We pride ourselves on offering caring and practical advice
Contact Simon Stevenson (Full Accredited Member of Solicitors for the Elderly) for advice for carers