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Powers of Attorney Solicitors

Taking care of you, no matter what the future holds

We are all forgetful sometimes, but what if that forgetfulness became more serious? What if you could no longer do the things you take for granted? It’s not something we ever want to think about but something that could happen to any of us at any point.

For 200 years, Bell Lamb and Joynson have been helping the residents of the North West with all their Power of Attorney needs. From making bespoke documents that record your wishes, to advice about being a great attorney, we are here to help.

We know that thinking about a future where you can no longer make your own decisions is sad and unsettling, particularly if you have been diagnosed with an illness you know could affect your mental capacity one day. Our Power of Attorney solicitors are friendly and sensitive, and when you instruct us, you can expect:

  • A warm, open environment to discuss all your potential options
  • Clear advice so you can make confident decisions about your wishes
  • A shoulder to lean on if you need emotional support
  • Fast responses to your calls and emails
  • Clear fixed costs, so you always know where you stand in terms of fees

We don’t expect you to take us at face value – read our excellent reviews from some of our clients about their experiences with us.

We’re ranked number one locally by the client review site, Review Solicitors, for our private client services (which cover Powers of Attorney, Wills, trusts, probate and similar matters).

Get in touch with our Power of Attorney solicitors in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington

Speak to a member of our friendly team today to discuss the documents in more detail and see how we can help:

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

We are happy to communicate in whatever way is most convenient for you. We have offices in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington where we can meet to discuss your requirements and you can pop in to see us.

We also regularly speak to clients using traditional phone calls and emails, as well as making use of video conferencing software such as Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and Microsoft Teams.

How our Power of Attorney solicitors can help you

Click on the headings below to read more about how we can help.

Making a Will covers what will happen to your assets once you’ve passed away, but what about while you’re still alive?

Illnesses such as dementia, conditions such as stroke, brain injuries and plain old age – there are many reasons why you may need extra support during your life.

Preparing a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) puts you in control of your future. It lets you decide what you want to happen if you lose the ability to make your own decisions and who you want to help you.

Appointing attorneys you know and trust to look after you gives you peace of mind and means those closest to you can help you with ease if necessary.

There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney we can help you with:

  • Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney – allows your attorneys to make decisions about your finances on your behalf, such as managing your bank accounts, selling a property and collecting your pension.
  • Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney – allows your attorneys to make decisions about things like your day-to-day care and activities and your medical treatment.

We’ll help you consider every possibility so the final document will fully cover your wishes, giving you peace of mind that you’ll be well cared for if you ever need your attorneys’ support.

As well as advising individuals about personal LPAs, we can advise business owners on putting in place Property and Financial Affairs LPAs to appoint someone to step into their role should they ever need them to. Putting a Business LPA in place could save your business if you’re a sole trader or director, so is always worth considering.

We can also provide advice about registering Lasting Powers of Attorney, as well as changing or updating your LPA.

Ordinary Powers of Attorney (OPAs) – also known as General Powers of Attorney (GPAs) – allow you to appoint people you trust (your attorneys) to manage your financial affairs in case you cannot or do not want to manage them yourself. For example, an OPA may be right for you if:

  • You are going into hospital for a while and need someone to look after your financial affairs
  • You are recovering from an illness or injury and need support in the meantime
  • You have a physical disability that makes it hard to do things like go to the bank or post office
  • You live abroad or are going on holiday for a long time
  • You are going to prison soon

We can help you put in place a tailored legal document that clearly outlines the scope of what powers you want your attorneys to have.

Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) were replaced by Lasting Powers of Attorney in 2007. However, if you have a valid EPA made before October 2007, it can still be registered and used.

We can:

  • Advise on the validity of Enduring Powers of Attorney
  • Register Enduring Powers of Attorney
  • Provide advice on whether it is worth replacing your Enduring Power of Attorney with a Lasting Power of Attorney
  • Cancel Enduring Powers of Attorney

If you are an attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney, Enduring Power of Attorney or Ordinary Power of Attorney, we can help you make important decisions and provide support for your relative or friend’s needs.

We know this can be a daunting job, and often a sad one when supporting a loved one who has lost their mental capacity, for example, because of an illness such as dementia or a brain injury.

Our Power of Attorney lawyers can share the burden, helping you give your loved one the very best quality of life.

We can:

  • Provide advice on mental capacity assessments and when to make decisions for someone
  • Advise you on the scope of your role and your responsibilities under the Power of Attorney document
  • Provide advice about helping someone make decisions (wherever possible – sometimes, with the right approach, a person can be helped to understand the information they need to make a decision)
  • Provide advice on making decisions for someone who lack the mental capacity to make the decision themselves

We can provide a wide range of other lifetime and estate planning advice, helping you plan for every aspect of life and after death. Our other services include:

Advance Decisions/Advance Directives/Living Wills

This type of legal document is called by many names but has one important purpose. It allows you to set out your wishes about medical treatment in case you cannot refuse when you want to in the future.

For example, if you are unconscious, unresponsive or lack mental capacity when your doctors need you to consent to certain types of medical treatment, they can turn to your Advance Decision for guidance on what to do.

This can save your healthcare professionals and your family from having to make sad and difficult decisions on your behalf.

You can even set out when you would want to rule out life-saving treatment, allowing you to live out the twilight of your life with peace of mind and dignity.

Our solicitors can provide advice about putting an Advance Decision in place, talking you through your options with kindness and sensitivity. We know these are difficult conversations at the best of times, so we’ll always provide a private, safe environment to talk and take the meeting at your pace.

Making a Will

Tick this important task off your to-do list and make sure your loved ones are provided for after you pass away. Making a Will is essential to pass on your hard-earned money and property to the right people as tax-efficiently as possible.

We can provide a fast, convenient Will writing service, so you can put your wishes on paper and carry on with your life with peace of mind as quickly as possible.

Court of Protection

If a person does not leave a Power of Attorney or Advance Decision, or the documents they did leave do not cover the situation at hand, making a Court of Protection application is the best option.

The Court of Protection’s role is to make decisions for people who lack mental capacity and to authorise people (referred to as deputies) to make decisions for people who lack mental capacity.

We can assist with a broad range of Court of Protection matters, including:

  • Making deputyship applications
  • Applying to make or change a Will for someone who cannot do it themselves (Statutory Wills)
  • Applications to sell jointly owned property where one owner cannot consent to the sale
  • Power of Attorney disputes
  • Deprivation of liberty matters
  • One-off decisions (e.g. where a Power of Attorney does not cover a specific decision you need to make)
  • Making urgent and emergency applications

Why choose our Power of Attorney lawyers?

200 years of expertise, a modern approach

We have been by our clients’ sides for 200 years, making us one of the oldest and most experienced firms in North West England.

But we don’t let our heritage hold us back. We use the latest legal technology to make our clients’ experiences as smooth and straightforward as possible. By streamlining our services, we can save you money.

Our technical solutions include a user-friendly client portal where you can:

We have received the Law Society Lexcel Accreditation for our high standards of client care. We are also Cyber Essentials certified which means we’ve put in place strong IT infrastructure and policies to protect your personal data.

A past track record of success

Our private client services are ranked number one locally in Liverpool and Runcorn and number two locally in Warrington by the independent client review site, Review Solicitors.

Helping our community through the generations

We’ve always been here, helping our clients through life’s toughest challenges whenever they need us.

We’re proud to be the law firm of choice for families who trust us to deliver the highest quality of advice repeatedly.

Having frank discussions with your family about mental capacity, care and the support you or someone you love needs or may need is never easy. We can help you broach these difficult subjects, such as speaking to loved ones on your behalf about how they can help you when and if the time comes.

Clear on costs

We are upfront and honest about our fees, so you can decide before you instruct us whether we’re right for you.

We can offer fixed fees for many of our Power of Attorney services, meaning you know exactly how much your solicitor costs will be from start to finish. We’ll never go outside of a fixed fee quote without talking to you and explaining the extra work that needs to be done.

 

Get in touch with our Power of Attorney solicitors in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington

Speak to a member of our friendly team at your local office in Liverpool, Runcorn or Warrington today to discuss your Power of Attorney needs in more detail and see how we can help:

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question