I recently watched the documentary made by Good Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway, following her husband’s battle with Covid-19. Unfortunately, 53-year-old Derek Draper, husband to Kate Garraway, contracted COVID-19 in March 2020. As Derek still battles the effects of the virus, Kate recently spoke out about her financial struggles as Derek has fallen ill without a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place.
A lot of people in their 40s and 50s have not put an LPA in place. It is this situation, which is putting Kate through a lot of stress, as Derek’s name is on most of their assets. Without an LPA, no one can deal with Derek’s affairs during his incapacity, not even his wife.
“One of the practical problems – which a lot of people would’ve experienced if they’ve got the absence of someone in their life – like many things the car is entirely in Derek’s name, the insurance is in Derek’s name, a lot of our bank accounts.”
– Kate Garraway, wife of Derek Draper.
With an LPA in place, Kate would have been able to focus on caring for their two young children as well as dealing with the emotional difficulties of her husband being ill. Handling household finances and insurers would have been one less thing to worry about.
This is clearly not a situation anyone wants to be in; however, their story truly highlights the importance of an LPA to reduce the weight on your loved one’s shoulders.
For more information about these important documents please contact Richardson’s Wills on 01275 851056, email nicola@richardsonswills.co.uk or visit www.richardsonswills.co.uk
