by Steve Maloret
Here at FDR Law we have our very own Solicitor, Michelle Davis who also plays Rugby League for Warrington Wolves Women’s team. Michelle is part of the England Women’s National Performance Squad and hopes that one day she will represent her country.
Away from the rugby pitch, Michelle specialises in preparing Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney and Probate work. Michelle says that her experience has brought home the importance of Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Lasting Powers of Attorney (known as LPAs) let you appoint people you trust to manage your affairs if you are unable to do so. There are two types of LPA, one deals with financial affairs and the other with health and care.
The financial affairs LPA lets your attorneys make decisions on your behalf about money matters, your property and also your business. For example, they can make decisions on running your bank accounts, dealing with your bills, buying or selling your property and investing your money.
The Health and Welfare LPA lets your attorneys to make decisions about your care, where you live, what you eat, what you wear and medical decisions.
So how does this relate to sport?
Anybody who participates in any sport, not just extreme sports, risks suffering a severe injury, hence why most competitive athletes have accident/injury insurance to cover for those eventualities. Michelle says “Every athlete evaluates the risk of injury before they step onto their chosen field of play, so to speak, and therefore every athlete should consider putting LPAs in place as an additional insurance policy in case the worst outcome does happen.”
LPAs ensure that your loved ones are able to deal with your affairs without any additional stress. Please note that even joint accounts can be frozen if the bank becomes aware that one party has lost mental capacity.
On a happier note, an LPA can be useful for managing your personal or business affairs if you are lucky enough to tour abroad with a sports team.
As a keen rugby league player Michelle is passionate about educating all athletes from every different sport about LPAs and other ways to plan and protect their assets for the future.
What should I do next?
If this sounds relevant to you or has made you consider your own or someone else’s circumstances speak to Michelle or one of our Private Client Team for more advice.
Alternatively, contact Michelle if you would like her to visit your sports club to explain the benefits of future planning for both professional and amateur sports people.
[email protected] 01925 230 000 www.fdrlaw.co.uk
