Lifetime Planning & Bereavement

Throughout our lives our circumstances change and we may need some help managing our affairs. At Gair and Gibson we provide a comprehensive range of services to make this process as easy as possible for you and your family. Some of these are listed below.

Power of Attorney

A power of attorney gives a trusted person the legal authority to act on your behalf. You can grant your attorney the power to deal with financial affairs, welfare affairs, or a combination of both.

An Attorney must act in your best interest.

It is essential that a Power of Attorney is put in place while you are capable. If you then become unable to attend to matters, either temporarily or on a permanent basis, a trusted person can act for you.

Wills

Making a will is something we all know we should do.

It is the only way to make sure your property and possessions are left to the people you want them to go to. Having a will in place has never been more important, particularly with family structures becoming more complex. If there is no will, an application would have to be made to the court for the appointment of an Executor and this can be time consuming and expensive. Once your will is made, it is also important to review it on a regular basis to ensure it is up to date and reflects your current circumstances.

Executries

Suffering a bereavement is never easy. We appreciate this can be a very difficult and stressful time for families. The thought of all the associated formalities and paperwork can be daunting and very distressing. We can assist you throughout the process in a sympathetic and sensitive manner. We provide help from the very beginning – valuing the estate, obtaining confirmation from the court, attending to any inheritance tax liability, through to distributing the estate at the end of the process.

Guardianships

Guardianship orders appoint someone to act on another’s behalf and can cover welfare matters only, financial matters only or a combination of both.

A person may lack capacity due to a lifelong condition or because of illness. Whatever the reason, the person is not able to delegate powers themselves and court intervention is required. New legislation introduced in 2000 requires the least intervention possible in dealing with an adult’s affairs and different orders can be applied for depending on the circumstances.

Living Wills

A Living will, also known as an advance directive, can be used to tell medical professionals your preferences about any future medical treatments if you are no longer capable of doing so yourself. This can be most helpful for your loved ones and allows you to communicate how you would like to be treated.

We provide a service where you can talk through your options and set out your wishes in a legal document which, though currently not binding in law, can be taken into account by your health professionals and your family.