Should you find yourself in the position whereby you need help in managing the affairs and decision making processes of a loved one, or if you have identified that it may indeed be yourself that will shortly require assistance, you can allocate this responsibility through legal channels to a family member or close friend.
However, it may well be that there is no one suitable that you would deem appropriate or trustworthy enough to hand over this responsibility to, or if that you were to choose one individual it may cause unwelcome animosity, for example between siblings or adult children. In this case you can enlist the services of a professional trustee, which we can organise and arrange for you within the Private Client team at Bailey & Cogger.
Working alongside your family, a professional trustee can:
- ensure your affairs are handled in accordance with your wishes;
- ensure your best interests are protected at all times;
- ensure money is invested wisely;
- ensure the needs of you and your family continue to be met;
- prevent money being wasted or misappropriated;
- help make it easier to reach difficult decisions or to achieve consensus on controversial issues; and
- ensure all legal requirements are complied with so your family does not have to worry about this.
Our fully trained professional trustee team can be appointed, either alone or in conjunction with someone else, to act as:
- a trustee under the terms of a trust, established to ensure, for example, the careful management of a personal injury compensation payment or the preservation of money held in a family trust fund;
- an attorney under the terms of a lasting power of attorney, created to ensure someone of your choosing has authority to make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to make them yourself;
- a deputy under the terms of a deputyship order made by the Court of Protection where no lasting power of attorney exists; and
- an executor under the terms of your will, to ensure your affairs are in order and your estate is distributed according to your wishes.
Advising families throughout Kent and beyond
We have offices in Tonbridge, Maidstone, Gravesend, Chatham and Tenterden where we can meet you to discuss your requirements.
We can also offer meetings at your home, in hospital or in a care facility or via skype where appropriate.
How much does it cost?
We offer a free initial 30-minute appointment to discuss your requirements. After that we can agree funding arrangements to suit your budget. For some cases involving the Court of Protection legal aid may be available.
Get in touch with our experts in Tonbridge, Kent
Call us on 01732 353305 if you need our help. Alternatively please complete our Contact Us form and we will be in touch as soon as possible.