Managing another person’s affairs can include overseeing their bank accounts, savings and investments, handling the buying or selling of property on their behalf, managing welfare benefits, deciding where they live and making everyday decisions about their personal care or healthcare.
Who might need help?
People might need others to manage their affairs due to illness, disability or mental health issues, or simply being out of the country. Managing the affairs of young adults aged 14 to 25 can be more complex and specialised guidance is available.
The legal options
There are different procedures for managing someone’s affairs depending on their mental capacity. For temporary or limited assistance, a bank’s third-party mandate or letter may be sufficient. To manage benefits fully, a person can be made an appointee. For ongoing, broader control, powers of attorney are available, including ordinary powers of attorney for short-term management and lasting powers of attorney – LPAs – which remain valid even if someone loses mental capacity.
LPAs
These can cover both property and financial matters, plus health and welfare decisions. They must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. If no power of attorney exists and someone loses capacity, a deputy may be appointed by the Court of Protection.
Applications
You can start an application for a Power of Attorney online, either directly or through the services of companies like //powerofattorneyonline.co.uk/.
Managing someone else’s affairs requires acting in their best interests, keeping clear records and following legal processes carefully. It’s advisable to plan ahead and seek legal advice for complex situations.
