The simple answer is before it’s too late. Dementia, coma and strokes are the most common reasons why people lose the capacity to make decisions for themselves. Once capacity has been lost, you are no longer allowed to appoint an attorney. This could leave you with no one able to pay your bills, check your income and make crucial decisions about your care and medical treatment. Ultimately, the Court of Protection has to appoint a Deputy instead. In the short term this is usually your Local Authority. Getting a relative appointed as a Deputy after this takes months and costs thousands of pounds, much more hassle and expense than having an LPA already in place.