Peoples understanding and awareness of Dementia is increasing as more and more people are willing to speak out about their experiences. A recent news report follows a woman whose father first started showing symptoms of Dementia in his early 40’s. Genetic testing has established that she too is in danger of developing the disease at an early age. This highlights that Dementia can affect people at any age, and that it does not just affect elderly people.
Therefore, it is vital that people put their affairs in order sooner rather than later and understand that you are never too young to write a Will or have a Lasting Power of Attorney put in place, so long as you are 18 years of age and have the mental capacity to do so.
A Will is a legal document that determines what should happen to your assets after you die. Without a Will, the distribution of your Estate will be determined by the laws of Intestacy, meaning people that you wish to benefit may not inherit. Equally, someone that you do not wish to receive a gift may benefit under the rules of Intestacy.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is an important tool that enables you to appoint the people who you trust to act as your Attorneys. Your Attorneys are appointed to manage your affairs should you be unable to do so yourself, possibly as a result of losing mental capacity. There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney; one for property and financial affairs and one which deals with health and welfare. Without these safeguards in place, your loved ones could face a lengthy and costly application to the Court of Protection to be appointed as your Deputy.
If you would like to discuss putting your legal affairs in order, then please contact our highly experienced Private Client team today. It’s never too soon to protect yourself and your loved ones. Call us on 01484 821 500, text LAW to 67777 or email willsandprobate@ramsdens.co.uk.