Lasting Power of Attorney

1.         The Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document  which allows an individual (ie "Donor") to appoint one or more persons to make decisions and act on the Donor's  behalf should the Donor be mentally incapacitated.

2.         The person making the LPA is called the “Donor”. The person(s) appointed to make decisions on your behalf in the event you are mentally incapacitated is referred to as the “Donee”. When appointing your donee, you should be assured he is someone trustworthy, reliable and competent in managing your affairs in your best interests should you lose your mental capacity. 

3.         The LPA will take effect when the donor is mentally incapacitated. The donee will step into the             shoes of the donor and manage the donor’s affairs.

4.         There are two (2) prescribed LPA forms:-

            (a)       Form 1 – You use this standard form if you wish to authorise your Donee to make decisions for you on all matters. 

            (b)       Form 2 – You use this form when you wish to make more detailed arrangements in                            your LPA (eg confer specific powers on your donees). This form has to be drafted by a                         lawyer. 

5.         If you use LPA form 1, you may authorise your donee(s) to make decisions with respect of two areas in your LPA:-

            (a)       personal welfare; and

            (b)       property and affairs. 

Personal welfare

6.         Examples of "Personal Welfare" decisions are :-       

            (a)       health care arrangements

            (b)       day to day care arrangements/decisions (eg where to live, who to live with, dietary                            arrangements);

            (c)       managing your personal correspondence; and

            (d)       managing your social welfare (who you may meet, what activities to take part in); 

Property and affairs

7.         Examples of "Property and Affairs" decisions are:-

            (a)       dealing with your property, including real estate (ie, acquiring, selling, renting and                                mortgaging property);

            (b)       managing your bank account;

            (c)       receiving (eg rental payments) and paying monies (eg paying rent, utilities, mortgage                        repayments, paying of household expenses);

            (d)       investment decisions; and

            (e)       handling tax related matters.

 Requirements of Donor

8.         The Donor must be:-

            (a)       at least 21 years old;

            (b)       have mental capacity to make a LPA; and

            (c)       must not be an undischarged bankrupt if your LPA relates to property and affairs                               matters.

Requirements of Donee

9.         You can appoint your donee to manage your personal welfare and/or property and affairs in                the following ways:-

            (a)       jointly;

            (b)       jointly and severally; or

            (c)       jointly in respect of some matters and jointly and severally in respect of other matters                        (eg jointly in respect of personal welfare and jointly and severally in respect of property                        and affairs).

 10.      If you want your donees are to act jointly, they have to be in agreement when making                    decisions on your behalf. If they are to act jointly and severally, your donees can execute                    their decisions without consulting the other donee.

11.       A “personal welfare” donee must:-

            (a)        be a person; and

            (b)       at least 21 old when the LPA is signed;

12.       A “property and affairs” donee must meet the following requirements:-

            (a)       an individual who is at least 21 years old;  not an undischarged bankrupt when the LPA                        is signed; or

            (b)       a licensed trust company as prescribed by the Mental Capacity Regulations.       

13.       You can appoint up to two (2) donees and appoint replacement donee(s) should your donee(s)             fail to meet the conditions stipulated under the Mental Capacity Act at a later date (eg death,             mental incapacity, bankruptcy etc).

 

Restrictions on powers of donees

14.       The donee has no powers to decide on certain issues like:-

            (a)       carrying out or continuation of life-sustaining or treatment to prevent serious                                   deterioration;

            (b)       giving or refusing consent for treatment;

            (c)       decisions relating to Advanced Medical Directive;

            (d)       executing a will;

            (e)       making or revoking CPF and insurance nominations;

            (f)        consenting to marriage or divorce; and

            (g)       decisions relating to abortion.

           Restrictions on the powers of the donees can be found under section 13 of the Mental Capacity            Act.

Termination/revocation of LPA

15.       An LPA and/or the powers of the donee(s) can be revoked under the following circumstances:-

            (a)       the donor decides to revoke the LPA while he still possess mental capacity;

            (b)       death of the donor or donee;

            (c)       the donee loses his/her mental capacity

            (d)       donor or donee is adjudicated a bankrupt. When this happens, any powers granted                           under the LPA in respect to property and affairs are terminated. However, the                                   bankruptcy of the donee does not affect the appointment and the powers granted to                           him/her in respect of personal welfare; and

            (e)       if the donor and donee are married, the dissolution/annulment of the marriage                                   between then will cause the LPA to be revoked, unless the donor explicitly states that                        such an event will not cause the powers granted under LPA to be revoked.

 

Certificate issuer

16.       Under the Mental Capacity Regulations 2010, the donor must ensure that the LPA form is                witnessed and certified by a certificate issuer; The LPA certificate issuer is your witness.

17.       You may approach any one of the following certificate issuers:-

            (a)       a registered medical practitioner accredited by the Public Guardian; or

            (b)       a registered psychiatrist; or

            (c)       a practising lawyer.

18.       The certificate issuer will explain the terms of the LPA to you. He/she will certify that you                    understand the purpose of the LPA and the scope of authority conferred under it. He/she will             also ensure that you are making the LPA voluntarily, not pressured or induced into creating                the LPA and that nothing is preventing the creation of the LPA.

19.       Variable professional fees are payable to different certificate issuers.

20.       The LPA application must be submitted within six (6) months from the date the donor and                the certificate issuer signs on the LPA.

 

Time frame

21.       The expected time frame for the approval of the LPA is approximately three (3) months:-

            (a)       four (4) weeks for the OPG to verify the application;

            (b)       mandatory six (6) weeks waiting period for the LPA to be approved and registered; and

            (c)       approximately two (2) weeks for the approved LPA to be delivered to us.

22.       During the six-week mandatory waiting period, the following objections may be raised to                    prevent the LPS from being registered:-

            (a)       the donor made the LPA under duress;

            (b)       the donor lacks mental capacity to make the LPA; and/or

            (c)       the donor is a bankrupt and appoints a property and affairs donee.