Attorney Disputes Solicitor
If you become unable to care for yourself, appointing one or more Powers of Attorney ensures that your best interests are kept by people that you trust. However, disagreements can arise, and an attorney disputes solicitor can help solve issues.
Listened to Everything We Wanted
"A friend recommended Shawn, and we were very pleased with his service. He was very knowledgeable and listened to everything we wanted and helped us through it. I would definitely recommend him to all my friends making Wills and Powers of Attorney."
Isabel Waddell, Family Law Services
The Short of it
A Power of Attorney allows someone to look after your finances,
healthcare and personal welfare in the event that you are unable to do so yourself.
In some cases, disputes may arise between the chosen Powers of Attorney,
or perhaps another loved one may not approve of the chosen Power of Attorney's actions.
These situations can be sensitive, especially if anyone involved is a family member.
At Watermans, our expert family lawyers are here to help.
Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need
and providing Straightforward legal advice. It should be that simple.
The Long of it
Powers of Attorney
Why is a Power of Attorney important?
A Continuing and Welfare Power of Attorney allows your loved ones to take care of you, your finances, and affairs if you become unable to do so for yourself. Unfortunately, it is a situation that can arise, be it temporarily or permanently. In the event that you become unable to look after yourself and your assets, having a Power of Attorney gives you peace of mind in knowing that your affairs are taken care of by someone that you know and trust.
A Power of Attorney allows someone, usually a relative or a solicitor, to manage your affairs while you are either temporarily or permanently unable to attend to matters such as money, property, health, and personal welfare.
This may include signing documents on your behalf, dealing with finances, or consenting to medical treatment. A Power of Attorney can only be signed if the granter has the full capacity to sign the document, and therefore we highly recommend having a Power of Attorney as a matter of “good housekeeping.”
This means that in the future, if and when you are incapable of making decisions about your affairs, if you have a Power of Attorney in place, this will alleviate a lot of stress and difficulty, and make managing your affairs a whole lot easier.
Attorney disputes
How do Attorney disputes arise?
Many people choose to appoint more than one person as their Power of Attorney to make decisions about them if they can no longer do so. In most cases, Attorneys are able to work together for the benefit of their loved one.
However, if a relationship breaks down, or you have concerns about the decisions being taken by another Attorney, it may be useful to get legal advice at an early stage.
The decisions made by a Power of Attorney on the incapacitated person’s behalf can often cause disputes. Issues relating to spending by the Attorney, sale or lease of the incapacitated person’s property and the healthcare choices made for the person can all be factors in Attorney disputes.
While the court can be asked to make various orders, including the removal of an Attorney, this doesn’t often happen, and it may not even be what you want.
These situations can be sensitive, especially if anyone involved is a family member, and it can be helpful to get expert legal advice from lawyers with experience in this area. Where appropriate, we can also refer you to mediation and other dispute resolution services which might help to get things back on track.
Settling an Attorney dispute
How can I settle an Attorney dispute?
If you disagree with the actions or decisions of an Attorney, it is possible to challenge them. At Watermans, we can advise you on how to challenge an Attorney and try to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
We also act on behalf of Attorneys who are defending claims made against them by a third party. Quite often, issues relating to Attorney disputes can be resolved through mediation.
Remember, these situations can be sensitive especially if everyone involved are family members, and it can be helpful to get expert legal advice from lawyers with experience in this area. Where appropriate, we can also refer you to mediation and other dispute resolution services which might help to get things back on track.
Why Watermans?
Why should I choose Watermans for my Attorney disputes?
We’re experts in family law and we know our stuff – but we’re also normal people you can have a real conversation with. We don’t use legal jargon (or Latin), we give straightforward advice, and we won’t judge or patronise you.
Coming from a range of backgrounds and with our own life experiences to draw on, we understand and empathise with how stressful family disputes can be. We know how important it is to trust your lawyer and that you need to know we’re in your corner.
Our aim is to work in partnership with you to help resolve things quickly and cost-effectively so you can move forward with your life.
Get in touch with us
Everything we do at Watermans is about getting you the resolution you need and making that process straightforward. Start the process by sending us your details below or calling us on 0131 555 7055
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Our Family Law expert
“People often say to me that family law must be a depressing job – but I’ve never felt that. What we do makes a difference. I love working with my clients to understand their stories, help them work out where they want to get to, and collaborate with them to achieve their goals. Seeing people come through it and embark on a new stage of their lives is a great feeling.”
Dianne Millen, Head of Family Law