The gap an LPA fills
A will takes effect after death. An LPA deals with the period before it, when someone may be unable to make decisions for themselves — after a stroke, an accident, or a progressive illness.
Without one, relatives cannot simply step in. An application to the Court of Protection may be needed, which takes time and costs money at a difficult moment.
Two types, both worth considering
One covers property and financial affairs; the other covers health and welfare. Families often make the financial one and overlook the second, then find that decisions about care and treatment are the harder ones.
Timing
An LPA can only be made while the person still has mental capacity, and registration takes several weeks. It is a document to make while everything is well, not when it is needed.
Sources and further reading