Most families don't think about care planning until a crisis forces the issue—a sudden illness, a fall, a diagnosis. By then, options are limited and decisions are made under pressure. Planning ahead, while you have full capacity and time to consider your choices, preserves your autonomy and reduces stress for your family.
Without advance planning, if you lose mental capacity due to illness or dementia, your family can't access your finances or make care decisions without lengthy court applications.
With planning: Powers of Attorney are in place, giving trusted people immediate legal authority to arrange care, manage finances, and ensure your wishes are followed—no courts, no delays.
Many families don't understand how care is funded until they're facing urgent decisions. What does the NHS cover? What must you pay for? How are assets assessed?
With planning: You understand the means test rules in advance, know what to expect financially, and can structure your affairs lawfully to preserve what's important to you—while meeting legal obligations.
Without preparation, families often face rushed property sales at below-market value to fund immediate care needs—creating financial and emotional stress during already difficult times.
With planning: You've explored options in advance—property protection trusts (set up years before care is needed), understanding of spouse exemptions, coordination with financial advisors on care funding products—giving your family clarity, not panic.
Adult children trying to navigate care options, funding rules, and legal requirements without guidance often make uninformed decisions they later regret—or face family conflict over "what Mum would have wanted."
With planning: Your wishes are documented, your legal affairs are organized, and your family has clear instructions—reducing their burden and ensuring decisions align with your values.
We help you understand the legal structures, funding rules, and planning options available—so you can make informed decisions about your care, your assets, and your future while you still have capacity to choose.
Clear explanation of NHS Continuing Healthcare, local authority means testing, self-funding rules, and what you're likely to pay based on your circumstances—within current Care Act 2014 frameworks.
Ensuring you have both Health & Welfare and Property & Financial Affairs LPAs in place, properly structured to handle care decisions and funding when you can't manage them yourself.
Exploring legitimate options for protecting assets—property protection trusts, spousal exemptions, gifting strategies—that must be implemented years in advance, before any care needs arise.
We work alongside your FCA-regulated financial advisor to ensure legal structures align with any care funding products, annuities, or insurance policies you're considering.
Updating your will to reflect later life circumstances, ensuring care funding doesn't unintentionally affect inheritance plans, and coordinating with any trusts or protection structures.
Guidance on discussing care wishes with family, documenting preferences, and creating clarity around decisions—reducing potential conflict and ensuring everyone understands your intentions.
Later life planning is valuable if any of these situations apply:
The earlier you plan, the more options you have. Planning must begin years before care is needed to be effective.
Start planning while you still have choices. Start Your Care PlanningWe guide you through understanding care funding rules, reviewing your legal structures, and implementing lawful planning strategies—all while you have capacity to make informed decisions.
We review your current circumstances, explain care funding rules (NHS CHC, means testing, self-funding thresholds), and help you understand what to expect financially if care becomes necessary.
Timeframe: Week 1-2We identify which legal structures you need (POAs, trusts, will updates) and recommend lawful planning options based on your goals—always emphasizing that protective strategies must be implemented years in advance.
Timeframe: Week 3-4We draft and execute necessary legal documents, coordinate with your financial advisors on care funding products if appropriate, and ensure all elements of your plan work together seamlessly.
Timeframe: Week 5-6Total Timeline: 4-6 weeks for legal implementation; ongoing review as circumstances change
What's Included:
Pricing Structure:
• Standalone service: From £1,495 +VAT
• With trust implementation: From £2,495 +VAT
• Comprehensive coordination: From £2,995 +VAT
*Pricing depends on complexity, existing documents, and whether new legal structures are required
What This Service Provides:
What This Service Does NOT Guarantee:
This service educates and implements lawful planning structures. It does not guarantee specific care funding outcomes, as local authorities assess circumstances at time of care need under Care Act 2014 rules.
Later life planning addresses care and incapacity. Complete estate protection covers your entire legacy.
| Later Life Planning | Complete Estate Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| Care Funding | ✓ Care funding education | ✓ Care funding education |
| Powers of Attorney | ✓ Powers of Attorney | ✓ Powers of Attorney |
| Asset Protection | ✓ Asset protection strategy | ✓ Full trust architecture |
| Wills | ✓ Will review & updates | ✓ Comprehensive wills for both spouses |
| IHT Planning | ✗ Limited IHT planning | ✓ Complete IHT reduction strategy |
| Estate Coordination | ✗ Basic estate coordination | ✓ Integrated estate, tax, and care planning |
| Ongoing Support | ✗ One-time review | ✓ Lifetime support & annual reviews |
Later life planning is essential for care and incapacity. But comprehensive estate protection addresses care, inheritance tax, probate, and legacy preservation together. Our Complete Estate Planning & Asset Protection service integrates all elements for total family protection.
Every care planning strategy is tailored to your unique circumstances and goals, ensuring you understand your options and can make informed decisions within current UK law.
Local authorities can investigate whether you've deliberately reduced your assets to avoid care fees. If planning is done reactively (after care needs arise or are imminent), authorities may treat those assets as still belonging to you for means testing purposes. Lawful planning must be done years in advance—typically 7+ years—and for legitimate reasons beyond simply avoiding care fees. We help you understand these rules and plan appropriately.
As early as possible—ideally in your 50s or early 60s, well before any care needs arise. Protective strategies like trusts must be implemented years before care is required to be effective and lawful. Planning after a diagnosis or when care is imminent significantly limits your options and may be challenged by local authorities.
No. Care funding is assessed by local authorities based on your circumstances at the time care is needed, under Care Act 2014 rules. Our service helps you understand these rules, explore lawful planning options available to you, and implement structures that may help preserve assets—but we cannot guarantee specific outcomes as care funding is means-tested and regulations can change.
It depends on your circumstances and when you plan. If you have a spouse or dependent living in the property, it may be disregarded in means testing. Property protection trusts can ring-fence assets if set up many years in advance for legitimate estate planning reasons. We help you understand these options, but there are no guarantees—planning must be done early and for the right reasons to be effective.
Possibly. If your POAs and will were created without considering care funding implications, they may not be optimally structured. We review your existing documents, educate you on care funding rules, and recommend updates or additional structures if appropriate—ensuring everything works together to support your later life wishes.
Later life planning isn't about avoiding care fees—it's about understanding how the system works so you can make informed, lawful choices while you still have capacity. The earlier you plan, the more control you maintain over your care, your assets, and your dignity.
Don't wait for a crisis. Plan now, while you have time to consider your options thoughtfully.