Ann Stanyer has been quoted in Today’s Wills and Probate following the announcement of a consultation by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) on the use of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs). The consultation promises to modernise the process of making LPAs while at the same time preserving and increasing safeguards and improving access for users.
Ann comments that “The consultation on lasting powers of attorney needs to result in more safeguards for older people. It is a shame that the safeguards first introduced with LPAs have been removed since they were introduced including compulsory notification requirements and identifying the capacity in which the certificate provider acts. The executive summary suggests that ‘ people increasingly expect to be able to access government services online’. I would be interested to see the statistics on this. I do not know of many older clients who would prefer to access online services rather than face to face. Certainly the younger generation would opt for an online world but surely we should be concerned about how our older population access services that directly affect them? In a world where our older population is being side lined we should do all we can to keep legal protections in place.”
To read the full article in Today’s Wills and Probate (23 July 2021) please click here.