Case Study 1 — The Family Who Waited Too Long
When Mr and Mrs H put off making LPAs, they assumed their children could “just step in” if needed.
When Mr H had a stroke, the family discovered they had no legal authority to access his bank or even discuss his care with the hospital.
They had to apply to the Court of Protection — a process that took six months and cost over £1,000 even without legal help.
Lesson: Without an LPA, even close family are powerless until the Court says otherwise.
Case Study 2 — Planning Ahead Saved Months of Stress
Mr and Mrs W made both types of LPAs while they were still in good health.
When Mrs W later developed dementia, her husband could immediately manage her accounts and liaise with doctors about her care.
No forms, no delays — just calm, organised support.
Lesson: LPAs aren’t for the elderly — they’re for the prepared.
Case Study 3 — Keeping Mum’s Wishes at Home
Mrs P was determined to stay at home for as long as possible.
Her daughter, named as attorney under a Health & Welfare LPA, was able to insist on home carers rather than a care home placement when the time came.
Lesson: A Health & Welfare LPA gives your family a legal voice when it matters most.
Case Study 4 — The Will That Was Out of Date
A gentleman left a generous gift to an old friend in his Will — but the friend had passed away years before.
Because the Will hadn’t been reviewed, that gift fell back into the main estate, changing how the money was shared.
Lesson: Even a good Will goes wrong if it’s not reviewed when life changes.
Case Study 5 — Smooth Sailing After an Unexpected Illness
A retired couple made LPAs and updated their Wills together.
When one partner suffered sudden memory loss, the other was able to manage everything — from bills to care arrangements — without needing legal help.
Lesson: Wills and LPAs work best as a matched set — one covers what happens after death, the other covers what happens before.
Case Study 6 — The Single Lady Who Took Control
Miss J lived alone and worried who would handle her finances if she became unwell.
She appointed a trusted friend as attorney and left clear instructions.
Years later, when illness struck, everything ran exactly as she’d planned.
Lesson: Being single doesn’t mean being unprotected — it means planning wisely.
Case Study 6 – Starvation
A lady was referred to me by a client. She had popped into the bank, and let them know her husband was in a Nursing Home. The counter clerk went off to see the manager who came out and told her that they were freezing the account. (With a joint account, all signatories need to have mental capacity.) Every penny of the household income went into the account, and with no cash or card, she could neither pay bills nor buy food. All the income was his, and the bank manager, purely on the evidence that he was in a Nursing Home, had decided that he must prove his ability to make decisions to the Banks satisfaction.
The bank refused to visit him (though many staff parked near the Nursing Home).
Instead, the insisted that he be brought to their office by ambulance – hardly practical.
They refused to accept a General Power of Attorney.
That left us with the only practical solution, though slow, was to set up a new pair of Lasting Powers of Attorney – our bit was 24 hours, but the Office of the Public Guardian took 3 months to register them. Then she could repay some of the debts, and go shopping again.
What caused this problem? She was tiny, he was large and had bad knees and kept falling over, so care with staff and a hoist to lift him became essential, and only Nursing Homes in the Eastbourne area seemed to have them
Case Study 7 – The Young Mother
Post natal depression is not that unusual, and sometimes it is bad enough for the mum to be sectioned. Without Lasting Powers of Attorney, the harrassed partner is left with virtually no legal voice, and no access to joint accounts and no ability to make any financial arrangements for the family through the mums savings and bank accounts,
Case Study 8 – The Student
On his 18th birthday, she was in a car accident and severely injured – her survival was touch and go for months, and it became clear that she would never be the same and would need lifelong care. Fortunately, their would be substantial compensation.
Sadly, the Court of Protection might well feel that the parenets were not the right people to handle such a large sume of money, and appoint professionals to do that. Similarly, more applications to act as Health and Welfare Deputies are turned down than accepted, s the chances are that the Court will reserve the right to make all such decisions, but will, of course, listen to what the parents think.
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