Reason You Need A Lawyer When You Are Young

By Author: D McFadzean
Total Articles: 4
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When we are young, fit and healthy we tend not to worry about the future too much. Then as each stage of our life progresses, we are usually forced to accept that problems do occur. 'Life happens' is the common phrase for this nowadays.

As lawyers, who help people who are dealing with grief or sick relatives, the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about paperwork at that time. Most people can't think straight, they are stressed and don't have time. It is due to this, that we strongly advise you to get your legal affairs sorted now while you are healthy and have time to read legal documents and think about what you want to achieve.

So what legal documents can a young person possibly need?

A Legally Binging Will
A Will in Scotland will stipulate the people or organisations you want to inherit all your assets when you die. Hopefully, you won't actually die for many, many years, however, having this document in place means it is easier. less stressful, and cheaper for your family to deal with your estate when you die.

If the worst happens and you die young in an ...
... accident or through illness and you don't have a Will, it could result in problems for your loved ones. When a person dies Intestate (without a will) in Scotland, the rules of Intestacy will apply. For instance, if you are living with a partner, it could mean that your estate will be inherited by your parents or siblings. Another issue is if your partner has children that you consider to be your step-children but you have not legally adopted them. They will not benefit from your estate without a Will. A partner can apply to Court to request financial provisions, however, this can take time and will cost money.
Writing a Will can change all that. It will mean that you can state who should benefit from your Estate. You can stipulate who will inherit your home, your cash, and valuables that you may own.

Power of Attorney
This is another document that if you know about it, people tend to relate to the elderly. A Power of Attorney is a legal document that appoints 1 or more trusted people to act on your behalf if you are unable to do so. A Power of Attorney can be for financial matters only, health and welfare matters only, or it can be a combined Power of Attorney.

Typically, children often have Power of Attorney over their elderly parents so that they can go to the Bank for them or handle their bills while they are in hospital. It is also commonly used when an elderly parent has dementia or is living with Alzheimer's disease and they need a trusted person to look after their affairs.

So what has it got to do with a young, healthy adult?

Firstly, you can only appoint an attorney of your choice when you are in good health and of sound mind. If a

Duncan is an employment law solicitor at ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan, Solicitors Edinburgh.