For two more years, Singaporeans will enjoy lower costs in entrusting their health and finances to someone else if they lose their mental capacity.
The fee waiver for Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) applications, introduced in 2014, was yesterday extended until Aug 31, 2018.
Singaporeans will be able to file LPA Form 1 applications for free until this date, although they will still have to pay fees charged by professionals engaged to witness and certify the application, such as medical practitioners and lawyers.
The LPA is a legal document that allows a person aged at least 21 to appoint one or more people to take actions on his behalf if he loses the ability to make his own decisions, such as in dementia.
Applicants have two forms to choose from. Form 1 grants general powers and meets the needs of the vast majority of Singaporeans, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development, while Form 2 accommodates special requirements and customised powers. Fees are needed for Form 2, and permanent residents and foreigners.
Besides the fee waiver, the LPA application process has been simplified.
The Office of the Public Guardian, which administers the applications, has simplified the language and reduced the number of pages in the forms.
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