Is an enduring power of attorney still valid?

If you already have power of attorney, you might be wondering whether it has an expiration date; after all, with a lasting power of attorney, or LPA, it might be many years until you need to use it; hopefully, you will never need to use it at all. Let’s look at what you need to know about whether an enduring power of attorney is still valid and the power of attorney in general.

What was the enduring power of attorney?

Enduring power of attorney documents were in place until 1 October 2007, when they were officially replaced by the current lasting power of attorney. Although it is now over 17 years on, there are still plenty of EPAs in existence and a lot of confusion about whether they are still valid.

The answer to this question is a simple yes, which is good news for many. Assuming the EPA was made correctly and according to the guidelines at the time, it will be valid. EPAs were a much simpler and shorter document than LPAs and were often offered as a bolt-on for wills at a discounted price.

What if you need to alter your EPA?

If you need to change your EPA, you will need to register a new lasting power of attorney instead, as EPAs were not registered and cannot be altered. It is very easy to make a lasting power of attorney online through a specialist service such as https://powerofattorneyonline.co.uk.

Why else might you need an LPA?

Old EPAs covered financial matters but not health matters; therefore, if you want to cover your wishes for both vital areas, you will need to create and register an LPA. The process is very similar for both types of LPA, and you can mirror your decisions if you wish with regard to your nominated attorney.

If you don’t currently have an LPA or EPA in place, it is certainly worth looking at setting up a lasting power of attorney online to ensure you are covered should the worst happen.