What is the difference between a power of attorney and guardianship?
A power of attorney allows someone to deal with your property and financial affairs. But guardianship allows them to make decisions about your health and daily care in the event you can’t make those decisions.
What is a Power of Attorney?
A Power of Attorney is a legal document used to appoint a person to temporarily or permanently make decisions about your property and other financial matters.
A permanent Power of Attorney can be used in the event that you are not well enough to make such decisions such as those people suffering from dementia.
A temporary Power of Attorney can be used to appoint someone to act for you on the sale of property or other financial transactions if you are going to be unavailable at that time.
Powers of Attorney are only valid while you are alive and are a useful tool to allow someone to make financial decisions for you in the event that you are unable to make those decisions.
What is a Guardianship?
A Guardianship is similar to a Power of Attorney. Instead of allowing someone to deal with your property and financial affairs, a Guardianship allows them to make decisions about your health and day to day care in the event that you are unable to make those decisions.
This can include medical treatment, accommodation and any other decision to do with your health and day to day care.
