POA,

We were told recently that there is a waiting time of 14 months (we are in Scotland) to get a new PoA registered with the OPG. Unless there is a sudden need for it, in which case they will expedite matters.

UPDATE : Co-incidence or what ? I have just received confirmation from the OPG that both the POAs ( Property and Health) have been registered with them.
I will now have to keep them safely, perhaps with my Will..
Must read the instructions properly - so pleased
Basically took about 10 weeks .

I would recommend naming your son-in-law as another attorney.

I have done it online , but you also have to print it out , have all parties to sign and then post it.
I am now waiting for it to be registered.
The Office of the Public Guardian, has confirmed that they have received it and are in the process of checking it. If no mistakes are found, it will be registered . The whole process takes a couple of months.
The other day, Martin Lewis was saying, a POA is as important as a Will

Hi, very interesting points being sounded out on here. Especially about reading things very carefully, I'm guessing the devil is in the detail. Which is possibly why some people prefer to go down the route of using solicitors for this.
More expensive I know, but you usually get what you pay for in life.

We did ours online during the first lockdown (in case Covid got us…)
It was quite straightforward, only you do need to read the instructions very carefully, especially IIRC as regards signing and dating. Any mistake means that it will be rejected and you will have to start (and pay!) again.

We added paragraphs to our Health and Welfare ones, to state very clearly in which circumstances we would NOT want any life-saving or life-prolonging treatment.

Our main problem was getting witnesses to sign when social distancing for COVID was at its strictest! Neighbours obliged us, outside, over a trestle table, with us on one side and them on the other! And using different pens…

Cabbie21

Attorneys can be appointed either to act always “jointly”,
or “ jointly and severally”.
The former means they must both be involved and agree with decisions, the latter means just one can decide, sign etc. Sometimes that is more convenient, provided the two are fundamentally in agreement. If not, it can cause endless trouble.

Thank you, this is a great help . I wasn't aware of that.

Hi, as Primrose said, if you search for this subject on the forums list you might find some more answers.

My advice would be to use the govt site online as stated but make sure you do exactly as said ie / using a black pen for signatures and getting it witnessed correctly.You can go and look at the govt site before you have to fill anything in.

You don't HAVE to have your son in law as POA if you are unsure.

Attorneys can be appointed either to act always “jointly”,
or “ jointly and severally”.
The former means they must both be involved and agree with decisions, the latter means just one can decide, sign etc. Sometimes that is more convenient, provided the two are fundamentally in agreement. If not, it can cause endless trouble.

It always helps to have more than one attorney if you can, so if you trust your son-in-law and he agrees then add him as well.

My husband is named as a "person to be informed" on Dad's PoA forms, but I have a brother and sister as well who are also attorneys.

There are many threads about this and most people consider the Gov.uk site for POA is very good. i have used it myself and had no problems. Great service.

The second part of your post re SIL is entirely up to you as you know him best.