Do I need a Lasting Power of Attorney in the UK?
Introduction
It’s a question many people put off—but it matters more than most realise.
If you were suddenly unable to make decisions for yourself, who would step in? And more importantly, would they actually have the legal authority to do so?
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf. Without one, even close family members can find themselves unable to help when it matters most.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people (known as attorneys) to make decisions for you if you lose mental capacity or no longer wish to make decisions yourself.
In the UK, there are two types:
Property and Financial Affairs LPA – covering money, bills, property and investments
Health and Welfare LPA – covering medical care and life decisions
Both play an important role in protecting your future.
Do I actually need one ?
Many people assume:
“My family will just handle things if something happens.”
Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
Without an LPA:
Your bank accounts could be frozen
Your family may not be able to access funds
Decisions may need to go through a lengthy legal process
This can be stressful, expensive, and time-consuming at exactly the wrong moment.
What about digital assets and online accounts?
This is where things are changing quickly.
If you hold:
Cryptocurrency
Online investments
Password-protected accounts
…these can be especially difficult for others to access without proper planning.
Even with an LPA, if your digital assets aren’t organised and documented properly, they can still be lost, be inaccessible, or challenging to retrieve.
This is an area many traditional services don’t fully cover.
When should I set one up ?
The simple answer is: before you need it.
An LPA must be set up while you still have mental capacity. Once capacity is lost, it’s too late to put one in place.
That’s why many people now include it as part of their overall estate and digital asset planning.
How we can help ?
Setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney doesn’t need to be complicated.
At Heredix, we offer a personal, one-to-one service, guiding you through:
Understanding your options clearly
Completing the process correctly
Making sure your wider assets, including digital ones, are properly considered
The aim is simple: to give you clarity, and to make things easier for the people who matter to you.
Next Step
If you’d like to talk it through, you’re welcome to book a consultation.
There’s no pressure—just a straightforward conversation to help you understand what’s right for your situation.
