legal and financial
What should we sort out legally and financially, and when?
5 min read
Do it early, while the person can still take part and express what they want. The core pieces are a legal decision-maker for finances and for health and care, a record of their wishes for future care, and practical access to money for day-to-day costs. Rules differ by country, so take proper advice.
What to try
- 1Ask what matters to them while they can tell you, and write it down.
- 2Get legal advice about appointing a decision-maker for property and finances, and for health and welfare — the mechanism and the name differ by country.
- 3Tell the bank about the diagnosis and ask what protections and access arrangements they offer.
- 4Check entitlement to benefits, allowances and council tax reductions — many go unclaimed.
- 5Keep the documents together and tell the family where they are.
What to avoid
- Waiting until capacity is in doubt. After that point the process becomes slower, more expensive and more intrusive.
- Informal arrangements between relatives with nothing written down.
- Assuming a marriage or being next of kin gives you legal authority. In most places it does not.
The conversation itself
Frame it as something everyone should do rather than something they need because of the diagnosis. Doing your own paperwork at the same time makes it a shared task rather than a verdict.
How this guide was made
Written by
Written independently for Riparo. It is not copied or adapted from any organisation’s material.
Evidence checked
Some key points have been checked against published national dementia guidance; others have not been.
Reviewed by
Not clinically reviewed. No clinician has checked this guide.