Kate Garraway and the legal protection we should all have in place

 

Kate Garraway’s heart-breaking story of her husband Derek’s year-long battle with Covid has been made even more complicated by the lack of legal protection she and Derek had in place. Kate was unable to access funds to manage her husband’s care or refinance her mortgage. She didn’t even have the legal right to see his medical notes, owing to data protection.

Research by SFE, shows that 65% of us think our next-of-kin will make medical and care decisions for us if we are no longer able to. In reality, this isn’t the case unless a Health & Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney is in place. Whilst there’s been a rise in the number of enquiries made about Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPAs) during the pandemic, only 22% of people in the UK actually have one.

To avoid this difficult kind of legal situation it’s important to use a specialist lawyer who is experienced in this area of the law, and is trained to support people making these crucial, complex and difficult decisions. According to Which? 22,000 LPAs are rejected every year so it’s essential that you get your legal documents right.

Lasting Powers of Attorney are beneficial in allowing those you trust to be appointed to assist with your property, finances and your health and care decisions. To read more about these documents please see our FAQ section.

Throughout the pandemic the Private Client team in Norwich and Attleborough have continued to assist their clients in putting in place these documents. Instructions can be taken over the telephone, via teams or in person depending on what works best for the client. Each client can have a tailored approach to the way in which we prepare their documents to ensure these are put in place in a timely but safe manner.

Laura Rumsey, Solicitor in the Private Client Team in Norwich and member of SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly), the membership organisation for specialist solicitors who support older and vulnerable people is more than happy to assist and can be contacted on 01603 675645 or lr@rogers-norton.co.uk.