LPAs prepared professionally - avoiding the risk of doing it yourself
If you’re thinking about setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney, you are not on your own. Templar Estate Planning is based right here in Caversham, and we sit down with you face to face to explain everything in plain English, then draft and register your LPA documents properly, the first time.
We prepare both personal and business Lasting Power of Attorney documents for clients across Caversham, Reading and the surrounding areas.
What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you choose someone you trust, called an attorney, to make decisions on your behalf if you’re ever unable to make them yourself. It’s one of the most useful documents you can put in place, and it’s entirely your choice who you appoint and what powers they have.
There are three types of LPA, and you can set up one or more depending on your circumstances:
- Property & Financial Affairs – covering your bank accounts, property, investments and general financial matters
- Health & Welfare – covering decisions about your care and medical treatment, including life-sustaining treatment
- Business – allowing your business to keep running smoothly if you’re temporarily or permanently unable to manage it
Get in touch and we’ll talk you through which of these make sense for your situation. There’s no obligation, and no jargon.
Why it's worth getting expert help with your LPA
LPAs have to be completed, signed, witnessed and dated in very specific, prescribed ways. Get a detail wrong and the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) can reject the whole application, meaning you lose the registration fee and have to start again. According to Which?, more than 50,000 LPA applications were rejected by the OPG in 2023–2024 due to errors.
We handle this for you. Our LPA specialist listens to what matters to you, then drafts your documents to include any specific instructions or preferences you want, and makes sure everything is completed correctly before it’s sent off.
You will need to think about:
- Who you want to appoint as your attorney or attorneys
- Whether you want to appoint reserve attorneys, and what happens if they need to step in
- Whether your attorneys should make decisions jointly or individually
We’ll help you work through all of this in a free, no-obligation appointment at our Caversham office, in Church House on the Waitrose mini-roundabout, or over the phone if that’s easier for you.
What happens if you don't have an LPA?
If you were ever unable to manage your own affairs, whether through illness, an accident, or later in life, and you don’t have an LPA in place, your loved ones can’t simply step in. They’d need to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as your Deputy, which is a longer, costlier process, and it’s the court, not you, who decides who’s appointed.
We’ve written a full explanation of how that process works, what it costs, and how long it typically takes: What happens if you don’t have a Lasting Power of Attorney? (link here)
The simplest way to avoid all of that is to put your LPA in place now, while you’re able to.
How we help you set up your Lasting Power of Attorney
This can be done as part of your wider estate planning, alongside your Will, or as a standalone service if your Will already covers your needs. Either way, the process is the same:
- We meet, in person in Caversham or by phone, and talk through your circumstances and wishes
- We advise you on which LPA documents make sense for you
- We draft your documents, built around your specific instructions
- We register them correctly with the Office of the Public Guardian
Once registered, your attorneys are able to act for you exactly as and when you need them to.
Ready to put your affairs in order?
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with our Caversham team today.
“I went to see David to write a new will and to arrange LPA’s for when needed. He was extremely helpful and patient, thoroughly explaining all the details and options. I came on a recommendation and I shall in turn recommend to others. Thank you.”
Our other services
Will Writing
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Trust Establishment
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Lasting Powers of Attorney
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Professional Executor Service
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Excellent service, we would recommend David and Templar estate planning
Secure your future, book a free consultation today.
We can meet in person at our office in Caversham, in your home, via telephone or video call.
