Later life planning is not just about who gets what; it's about staying in control if life changes. The biggest problems we see are not after someone dies. They happen while someone is alive but cannot manage their affairs, or cannot clearly communicate what they want.

This package is designed to put the right decision makers in place, reduce stress for family members and avoid delays and costs that come from having no legal authority to act.

‍Why it can still get complicated

Later life often involves moving parts that are easy to put off until they become urgent:

• health can change quickly, including temporary illness, hospital stays, dementia or reduced capacity
• families may disagree about care decisions, money and what is “best”
• managing finances can become difficult even with supportive family, because organisations need legal authority
• some people want to involve adult children, but not equally, or want safeguards in place

What you typically need in place

• A Will‍
  
  • Sets out who inherits, who deals with your estate and what happens to everything you leave behind.
• Lasting Power of Attorney for Property and Financial Affairs
  
  • ‍So someone you trust can manage bills and finances if you are alive but cannot act.
• Lasting Power of Attorney for Health and Welfare‍
  
  • So someone you trust can make health and care decisions if you cannot.
• ‍Letter of wishes‍
  
  • Helps explain your intentions to executors and trustees and can reduce misunderstandings.

Optional but useful

• A simple information pack for your executors and family‍
  
  • A short list of what you own, where the key documents are and who to contact
• Replacement attorney planning and safeguards‍
  
  • Useful where you want continuity and clear boundaries.‍

Downsides of not having this in place

• Without Lasting Powers of Attorney:
  • family members may have no legal right to deal with banks or manage finances, even if they are trying to help
  • loved ones may need to apply to the Court of Protection to manage affairs which is slow, costly and stressful
  • care decisions can become harder to manage if nobody has clear authority
  Without a Will:
  • the intestacy rules decide who inherits
  • it can be slower and more expensive to administer the estate
  • it can create stress and uncertainty for the people left dealing with everything
  Without an information pack:
  • even well drafted documents can be undermined by missing information
  • families often lose time and money locating accounts, policies and key paperwork

Payment options

If Sail Legal is handling your conveyancing we can add the cost to your conveyancing bill. We can also offer Klarna so you can spread the cost.

We offer two packages and you can choose what suits your budget and preferred level of risk. Do click for more details: