The Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Honourable Neil F Costa MP, has said he is pleased to note the publication, on the Gibraltar Courts Service website, of an “Easy to read guide” to Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), together with blank templates for an Health and Welfare LPA and for a Property and Financial LPA.

These documents may be accessed at http://www.gcs.gov.gi/index.php/lasting-powers-of-attorney and will provide an introduction as to what these new instruments may be used for, including separate sections on both types of LPA and advance decisions.

This guide and the templates build on the Lasting Powers of Attorney Code of Practice, can be found at http://www.gibraltarlaws.gov.gi/articles/2018s097.pdf

The Code goes into more detail and is useful to anyone who may be named as a donee (attorney) in an LPA.

Mr Costa said: “I am delighted that in the short time since the legislation has been in force there have already been applications made to the Supreme Court for the registration of LPAs. As I have said before, LPAs are a useful tool to appoint a trusted person to take decisions on one’s behalf. Through an LPA, persons who anticipate they may lack capacity in future to manage their health, welfare, property and financial affairs may, while they still have capacity, make provision for their views and preferences to be taken into account. I would urge anyone who has any concerns about how their affairs may be managed, if there were to lose capacity, to read the guide and consider whether it would be useful for them to make and register LPAs.”