Don't Leave Home Without It: Legal Advice for Your Summer Travels

Summer is upon us and lots of us will be heading on holiday in the coming weeks. Hopefully you have checked your passport, booked your accommodation, and packed your sunscreen.

However, have you got your legal affairs in order? This seems obvious but so many people forget or leave it so close to their departure date that it can become stressful for all parties involved. So here is a pre travel suggested to do list but from a law firm.

Are you going on an extended trip (over two weeks)? Then:

• Check your home insurance policy. You may need to notify your insurer that the property is going to be empty for a prolonged time. You may need to ask someone to check the property regularly (which can be done when they collect your post and water the plants!)

• Are there any financial matters that need overseeing whilst you are away? If so you may need to register your Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) with your bank or other financial institutions if you want your appointed attorney to manage your affairs whilst you are on holiday. Don’t have a LPA for property and finance set up? Then it is a good time to make one. They can take up to six months to prepare and register with the Office of the Public Guardian so allow plenty of time. If you’ve left it too close to your travel date then don’t panic, as a temporary General Power of Attorney could be prepared as a one off. These however should only be used as a stop gap as they stop being valid should you lose capacity. Plan to make your Financial LPA when you get back for future use.

Before any trip you may want to check:

• Is your Will up to date? If not, you may want to get this piece of life admin ticked off your list. You booked your travel insurance so why not make sure the most important document of all is safe too? Wills can normally be turned around in 2 to 3 weeks. However, don’t leave it to the last minute if you can. Lawyers go on holiday too and there may be less appointment availability over the summer months.

• Do your attorneys have a certified copies of your Health and Welfare LPA? If they don’t this can usually be arranged straightforwardly for a small fee. In case of an emergency, it is a lot easier if your attorney has the document ready to grab and take with them. It will not be helpful if it is needed on a Saturday night when the firm is closed for the weekend. It is also good practice to register a copy of your Health LPA with your GP practice.

• Don’t have a Health & Welfare LPA? Then it is a good idea to get one set up. Like the Financial LPA it can take up to six months to draft and register so plan ahead. If your upcoming trip is imminent, you could prepare an Advance Decision otherwise known as a living will to note any medical treatment preferences or wishes that you may have. However, these are not as useful as a person advocating on your behalf so do not think a Health LPA isn’t needed. A copy of your Advance Decision can be annexed to your Health LPA if you wish.

Have a great summer and please remember your legal affairs are just as important this time of year as any other. If you would like professional legal advice for any of the topics covered above please contact Caroline Farmer cxf@hughes-paddison.co.uk or Carole Haestier cah@hughes-paddison.co.uk in our Private Client Department or call 1242 574 244.