There's just one number to call to cancel pensions, passports, DL etc now. This is on a leaflet the registrar gives you. If there's a wait for registering the death then you can ring them all separately before hand but the fewer calls you have to make the easier it is.
Get a couple of copies of death certificates if there is penson/life insurance to be dealt with.
and even forwarding the post.
I've just been through the process of getting (financial) Power of Attorney for my mother. Total cost about £1,000 incl. solicitor. It took about two months for the PoA, and three months and counting for banks to sort their end out (*).
It has to be done while the person still is in charge of their faculties - i.e., knows who people are, and whether they want those people to act on their behalf. I gather if it's beyond that, then it's a more complicated (therefore expensive) process. We didn't start the process until my mum went into hospital.
(* Because the public sector is always slow and bureaucratic, and the private sector is always so quick to respond to customer's needs (especially Santander!))
We got a POA for our son it was FOC for the solicitor (as we did it through VOCAL [son is disabled])
If the person is not compis the courts have to decide if you are a fit person to conduct someone else's affairs. This (in our case) is called 'Guardianship' and is a VERY long, drawn out, intimidating etc process
I failed to get POA while dad was still sensible (he would not agree), I did not get COP when he wasn't and several years after his death I am very much regretting not getting COP when I could have. The estate was plundered before his death and the will is being contested, the solicitors/executors are useless and I really don't know what is the next step.
LPA not PoA? They are different and critically different in that the PoA=
lapses once the person whose affairs you have power for can no longer authorise/understand what you are doing with their affairs.
=A31,000 is about right for an LPA as the forms are beautiful legalise a= nd solictors charge a lot per hour. Some will offer to check them after you= have done all the donkey work, this is much cheaper but don't expect much cha= nge from =A3500...
That does sound like POA rather than an LPA, see above for the limitatio= ns on a POA.
LPA not PoA? They are different and critically different in that the PoA lapses once the person whose affairs you have power for can no longer authorise/understand what you are doing with their affairs.
Dave, I'm fairly sure that POA only lapses once the person dies. Once the "person" signs the form, you have control, and it only stops when the "person" dies.
I can recommend a book "A - Step - by Step Guide to Wills and Probate by Biggs and Donnelly. that I found very useful when I was in similar situations.
I note that the latest edition is available from Amazon. Failing that, you should be able to get it or a similar guide from W.H Smith or Waterstones.
Alternatively I don't suppose I will ever need my copy again. If you don't mind furnishing me with an address, I can slip it into an envelope and send it to you. The e-mail address above is active but so that I can pick any genuine e-mail from the junk, I would suggest you use the subject header ***BOOK***
I leave the matter with you.
Libraries can also be useful if you still have one. Which? do a book called 'What to do when someone dies', I believe, and one called 'Wills and Probate'.
Soryy, yes, it's a Lasting Power of Attorney. We went for the £1000 solicitor, 'cos all her money's going to dwindle away anyway. Whether we spend it now or later no longer seems to matter.
Lucky you Your grandparent had his own stopcock in the street. No such luck on the one I looked after:-( It would have turned off the supply to four houses.
In the end we drained down and dumped some antifreeze in the bog. Trust me the U bend can freeze and crack a toilet. We also left the heating on low and made regular checks on the place (although to be honest the next door neighbour was a star and she used to check the house everyday for us).
I wonder what insurance policy my parent's have in place for their holiday apartment?
I did one of those with my mum a couple of years ago; although it's intended to be filled in by the end-user without need of legal support I agree that it's not straightforward, and we did screw up both forms (a bit!) necessitating the forms to be returned. However, despite what the blurb warned, at least we didn't get charged again.
David
In my in-laws' cases, there was only a short period from illness to death (9 weeks and 5 weeks), so everything from transferring car ownership to cancelling cable TV was only done after death and copies of the death certificate were needed for each.
Get plenty of copies!
On my mother-in-law's death, the cable TV was fun, as they sent out a "leaver's" pack covered in colourful text, asking why she was leaving; informing her that they'd "like to bring her back"; that there was "a new team, dedicated to bringing you back"; it was "easier than ever to return" etc. and addressed to "Mrs. P.McGuinness (Deceased)". Luckily it amused my wife rather than upsetting her.
SteveW
:-)
and that's why I closed off the main supply at the street. Any leak is limited to a tank full.
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