First Dementia-Specific Lasting Power of Attorney Tool is Launched Online by Net Lawman

The New Online Tool Allows People With Early Stage Dementia, Their Family and Caregivers to Make Lasting Power of Attorney Documents

SUFFOLK, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 16, 2017 / Net Lawman, an online legal services provider, has launched the first dementia-specific lasting power of attorney service in partnership with Unforgettable, a specialist retailer of memory and dementia products.

To learn more about the new online tool by Net Lawman and Unforgettable, please visit www.netlawman.co.uk/unforgettable.

As a spokesperson for Net Lawman noted, lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a means of giving someone the ability to make legally binding decisions on the behalf of someone else who has lost mental capacity and is unable to make those decisions independently. There are two types of LPA: one regarding welfare and care, and one regarding control of finances. By completing the government’s LPA forms and registering them, the donor of the power chooses who can make decisions and what decisions can be made.

By using the new online tool from Net Lawman, people who have been diagnosed with early stage dementia, their family members and their carers can make either type of lasting power of attorney by answering a straightforward questionnaire about their wishes. An additional dementia-specific “Statement of Wishes” document allows the maker to specify their preferences for care, and covers specific relevant topics such as the use of tracking devices. The use of the online tool is free.

In addition, the new online tool offers an affordable review service and mental capacity certification. By obtaining certification, those who have made an LPA can have peace of mind that the document will stand up in court should there be any challenges to it. This service removes the need to ask a GP or solicitor to certify mental capacity, which can be a long and complicated process and, in the case of a solicitor, expensive.

Dementia is one of the fastest growing mental health conditions in the UK – a good reason why having registered an LPA is important. However, according to research by Unforgettable, 62 percent of adults do not have one in place.

James Ashwell, founder of Unforgettable, said “Without an LPA in place the effects of dementia can be catastrophic. Many people believe that they don’t need one and that family members can easily take over the financial affairs of someone who loses mental capacity and make decisions on their behalf. However, without an LPA, this is simply not the case.”

Thomas Taylor, director of Net Lawman commented: “By working with Unforgettable, we are able to bring a service to market that can truly help some of the most vulnerable people in British society. Being online and free to use, the tool should help people overcome many of the barriers that prevent them from setting an LPA up. Additional features such as the statement of wishes, mental capacity certification and in-questionnaire dementia-specific help will especially help those people who have been diagnosed with the condition.”

About Unforgettable:

Launched in 2015, Unforgettable is a socially funded organisation building the world’s first marketplace for dementia products and services in partnership with leading charities such as The Alzheimer’s Society and Carers UK. The innovative new ecommerce platform is transforming the discovery, distribution and development of dementia products and services. There are over 1,500 products currently available on the website and more are being researched and added daily. For more information, please visit https://www.unforgettable.org/.

About Net Lawman:

Net Lawman started trading in 2001 and was a pioneer of selling legal documents on the Internet, initially as downloaded templates and later additionally through document automation software. Based in Suffolk, it now operates in 8 countries around the world. It aims to make the law more accessible by removing the barriers that location, financial circumstances and legal knowledge present to being able to live or operate a business with a high level of legal protection. It does not claim to replace the need for solicitors, but rather provides a service that enables its customers to manage many aspects of business and personal life that traditionally in which a solicitor might have been involved. For more information, please visit https://www.netlawman.co.uk.

Contact:

Thomas Taylor
thomas@netlawman.co.uk
0044 1284 848 275

SOURCE: Net Lawman

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