One of the key considerations when setting up a Power of Attorney is who to appoint as your attorney(s).  LPAs are essentially based on trust and as such, it is important that when giving someone power of attorney they are absolutely trustworthy, and you believe they are going to be capable of making decisions on your behalf and who you feel understand your wishes, values and beliefs.
You can choose to appoint one attorney although in most cases we would recommend appointing more than one in case one attorney is unable at any time to assist you. Your attorneys may be friends or family members or you can appoint professional attorneys, such as a solicitor or an accountant.
If you are appointing more than one attorney, then it is also important to consider how they will work together in one of the following ways:
“Jointly” – the attorneys must make all of the decisions and approve necessary documents jointly.
“Jointly and independently” – the attorneys can make decisions jointly, however should one attorney not be available, the other attorney still has the authority to make decisions in their absence.
Mixture of “Jointly” and “Jointly and Independently” – you can choose which decisions are made jointly and others which are made jointly and independently.
Each of these variations comes with its benefits and restrictions relating to accountability and absences, which is why it is important to seek legal advice when making such decisions.