Christmas is a time of traditions. We put up the tree, complain about the non-stop Christmas songs on the radio and look forward to spending time with our loved ones. Over the past few years we have become familiar with some very modern Christmas traditions such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated modern Christmas tradition is the John Lewis advert. This year John Lewis have teamed up with Age UK to draw attention to the issues faced by many elderly people in the UK. The advert depicts a lonely man who lives on the moon and aims to highlight the alienation felt by many elderly people, particularly at Christmas time. Age UK is the country’s largest charity dedicated to helping elderly people get the most out of life and have estimated that more than 1 million elderly people go a month without speaking to anyone.
This advert forms part of a wider Christmas campaign and was followed up by a message from Leon and June, one of the most popular couples from Channel 4’s hugely successful show, Gogglebox.
Age UK Christmas Campaign
The issues raised by Age UK become even more concerning with the projection that the number of people aged 65+ in the UK is expected to rise by 40% in the next 17 years to over 16 million. They also report that 1 in 5 people in the UK will live to see their 100th birthday. As the population ages we must begin to think about the legal implications of living longer and what we can do to plan for the future.
Making a Will
A survey by the Scottish Consumer Council found that only one third of respondents had a will. However, writing a will is a relatively straightforward process. Subject to the rules of succession, you are able to state what you want to happen to your property when you die. You could leave a specific possession to a loved one or gift money to a charity than meant a lot to you throughout your life.
You can also choose a person you trust to act as your executor. This person will deal with things like settling any debts that you owed. The executor will create a calculation of the value of your estate and will enact the terms of your will, in accordance with succession law. Many people find it comforting to know that this duty will be carried out by a person they trust.
Without a valid in place, these things will not be possible. If you do not have a will you are said to be ‘intestate’ and your estate would be split up under the rules of intestacy. The court would appoint an executor and there would be no way to communicate what you want to happen to your property.
Power of Attorney
Power of Attorney gives you the opportunity to appoint someone you trust to manage your affairs in the situation where you are not able to. A Power of Attorney can be used to manage property, finances and issues relating to your welfare.
If a Power of Attorney is not in place and an adult becomes unable to handle their own affairs then a Guardianship Order can be sought. This is much more expensive and complicated than a Power of Attorney. For this reason, many people decide to have a Power of Attorney in place in case the worst should happen.
Cost of Power of Attorney and Making a Will
Family Law Edinburgh are specialist family lawyers. We are a team of friendly and trusted solicitors who are experienced in providing legal services for elderly people. We appreciate that planning for future incapacity can be a very difficult thing to think about and we treat every enquiry with confidentiality and sensitivity. We understand that the fear of incurring high legal fees may worry many people and for this reason we offer a range of fixed fee packages.
Contact Family Law Edinburgh today on 0131 341 3523 or complete our online enquiry form.
