Clients who want to make a Will should be encouraged to sign a lasting power of attorney at the same time, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Junior justice minister Bridget Prentice is concerned that only 100,000 LPAs have been registered so far. In an interview on the BBCs Today radio programme, she said that increasing life expectancy means that every person in Britain should have an LPA in place, ready to be used when necessary.
The Ministry of Justice is now asking the Law Society to promote the idea to its members in the hope of increasing the take-up of LPAs among the general public. However, LPA applications are still taking between three and six months to be granted.
BBC "Today" Programme (audio)
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