Manage a parent's money as their attorney or deputy

This guide is for adult children and other relatives in England and Wales whose parent can no longer manage their own money because of dementia, a stroke or another condition affecting their mental capacity. It assumes the decision to step in has arrived, not that you are making a lasting power of attorney (LPA) in advance. You will check whether a valid LPA exists and can be used, or apply to the Court of Protection for deputyship if not, then set up their finances correctly and keep the records that protect you. By the end you will know exactly what you can and cannot do with their money and home. This is general information; take advice from a solicitor, Age UK or Citizens Advice for complex situations, and note Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems.

What is inside

• Full step-by-step method9 detailed steps with decision points
• Ready-to-use templatesLetter to a bank registering your authority · Best-interests decision record · Update email to family members
• Timed action plan8 stages from “Week 1” to “Before any big decision”
• Costly mistakes to avoid4 traps and what to do instead
• Complete checklist12 items to tick off
• Insider tips and fixes4 tips and 4 common problems solved

Step by step

1. Check what legal authority already exists

   Ask your parent, their solicitor and close family whether they made a property and financial affairs LPA, or an enduring power of attorney (EPA) before October 2007. A paper LPA can only be used once it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), which is shown on the document itself; if you only have an unregistered LPA and your parent can no longer make decisions, it can still be registered, but expect a wait. If an LPA was registered online, use the government's 'Use a lasting power of attorney' service to view it and create access codes for organisations. An EPA must be registered with the OPG once your parent is losing or has lost capacity, before the attorney can carry on using it. If nobody knows whether an LPA exists, you can ask the OPG to search its register.