Appointment as your Attorney

Chattertons Trustee Corporation can act as your professional attorney. You can appoint Chattertons Trustee Corporation as your sole attorney, or alongside other attorneys of your choice.

Your attorney(s) will have a number of duties which can include, but may not be limited to:

• Notifying all relevant organisations such as banks and utility companies.
• Liaising with all relevant organisations in relation to your financial affairs, e.g. banks and insurance companies.
• Selling and clearing your property, e.g. if you need to go into a home.
• Submitting any tax returns that may be required to HMRC and ensuring that any tax due is paid.
• Reviewing your investments and taking advice on whether or not to adjust these.
• Discharging any bills from your money.
• Keeping accounts which set out your assets, income and liabilities.
• Keeping you informed and involving you in as many decisions as possible.
• Complying with any requirements of the Office of the Public Guardian and liaising with them as and when necessary.

Appointing a professional attorney can be useful in the following cases:

• You may not want to burden your loved ones with the responsibility of ‘paperwork’.
• If there are difficult relationships within your family or there is potential for a dispute over your finances or the appointment of a particular attorney, it may be preferable for an independent third party to deal with matters.
• You may not have a friend or family member who can act.
• Your assets may be complex and require professional expertise to administer, e.g. you may run a business or own foreign property.

The advantages of appointing Chattertons Trustee Corporation are:

• The administration of your financial affairs will be handled by an appropriately qualified professional body.
• The provision of a seamless and continuous service. Chattertons Trustee Corporation is always available to sign documents and so there are no delays which may otherwise arise if your attorney is unavailable, on holiday, ill etc.
• It is usually sensible to appoint a replacement attorney in case your preferred attorney is no longer able to act, e.g. if they die before you. If you appoint Chattertons Trustee Corporation, no second attorney is required.
• A trust corporation owes a higher duty of care to you than a lay person.
• Chattertons Trustee Corporation can assist with any difficult decisions.

When Chattertons Trustee Corporation is appointed to act, fees will be charged for dealing with the administration of your financial affairs, which will be paid from your assets. Further information about fees is available on request. You are though under no obligation to appoint Chattertons Trustee Corporation and are free to appoint any friend, family member or other professional of your choice.  

Contact us

If you would like to talk to a member of our specialist Private Client team please contact your local office or complete our online enquiry form.