Lasting power of attorney

No, I am in the process of doing it but thought that I would use a solicitor.

Yes - I did for both of us. It is relatively simple but tedious and it is very important to be systematic as different bits have to be signed/counter-signed in the right date order or they do not accept it. You can download the forms and the very detailed guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/lasting-power-of-attorney-forms

I drew a flow diagram for each of us and for each type of power (finances and health etc.) and just ticked things off as they got completed.

You can sometimes get a reduction in the fee - we did, even though we have savings. It is worth giving that a go as well. The site tells you how to apply for the fee reduction.

I did this a few years ago . Although the forms are long they are quite easy to understand. I printed them from Internet but you can get them through the post. There is a very good information booklet that comes with it. I believe to do the through a solicitor is quite expensive

Yes, we did, but it took a long time as the people involved lived in different parts of the country. You have to do everything in the order stated, so you get dates and signatures witnessed in the right order.
My husband's was accepted and used, so it must have been okay.

I filled in the old enduring power of attorney when I realised it was going to stop and gave the form to one of my daughters. My mother had filled one in many years ago and it was a godsend when she got dementia. We had both been at the old family solicitor making out our wills and he handed us a form 'as a present' and told her to fill it in. He was a proper solicitor not like the modern money making machines.

Whilst looking after my mother I had dreadful trouble with our local social services (the department has since been investigated) and this very old solicitor who was dealing with another matter for me wrote to them free of charge and instantly ended the dispute. By the way, I wasn't trying to claim lots of money. Just selling her house to pay for her care in a lovely home but SS had to be involved unfortunately.

Thanks for everyones advice etc. much appreciated. Sounds as though it should be straightforward if planned well. Have sent off for the packs.

My local solicitor wanted £850 + vat for processing the forms (still had to pay £260 registration) So that's circa £1000 we can save by DIY.

Yes, I've done it too pompa, just be very organised and double check everything. Mine have been registered, and I got some money back too!

If I can do it, you certainly can

Just completed our LPA forms using the Gov online system. Apart form a couple of soul searching decisions it was very easy. Once you have entered the data for the first one, the others can be cloned from the first, easy peasy.

We had our Will reviewed today and we were advised to also get one of these ^^ sorted. Which of course we hadn't considered - until now .

Having been quoted £800 each for the two that we need and then of course there's the registration fee, I thought I bet there's a GN thread on it.

Having read this I'm going to give it a go online, I did consider having the forms posted to us but the website seems to suggest it is easily done online using a "digital tool" (whatever that may be)

pompa what do you mean by "clone" do you mean "cut and paste"?

Thanks in anticipation!

I did ours on line too Pompa. I found it really straightforward and as Durhamjen said you have to make sure that all of the dates are in the right order. Grannyknot if I remember rightly, once you have filled in all the names and addresses of people you want to authorise or notify, that can be transferred to the other partner's, without any cutting and pasting. If you do it on line rather than printing off and filling in by hand, it is indeed easy peasy.

Thanks, everyone.

I don't understand what's with dates having to be in the right order, but I presume all will be revealed once I get started.