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We'd like to say a huge thank you to our amazing NHS staff who are working endlessly during the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore from now until the end of April we will be donating 10% of our fees from Wills and Powers of Attorney to the NHS Tayside Health Fund. Everyone should have a Will and Power of Attorney in place, not just now because of the coronavirus pandemic, but so that we all prepare for our future.

When Formula 1 racing legend Michael Schumacher went on a family skiing holiday in the French Alps six years ago, nobody expected him to fall and suffer a serious head injury which would end up with him being placed in an induced coma for 6 months, and still not be able to walk or talk. Although Schumacher may well have access to the very best medical experts, with his family now in charge, there is potential to cause a dispute between family members as to what the best medical action is for them to take, at what is no doubt already an incredibly stressful time. In Scotland you can appoint someone as your attorney, at a time when you do have mental capacity, to make decisions on your health and welfare via a Power of Attorney in the event that you lose the capacity to make certain decisions.

In Scotland, a surviving spouse/civil partner or children can make a claim on the estate of a deceased person using their Legal Rights. So if like actor Michael Douglas, whose father Kirk Douglas chose charity over his son when deciding how to divide up his £60million fortune, you think you have been short-changed, then you can make a claim. A child, even if he or she is not named as a beneficiary in the Will, can always claim his or her "Legal Rights" in a deceased parent's estate. 

What is a Power of Attorney and why do I need one? A Power of Attorney is a written, legal document giving someone else permission to take actions or make decisions on your behalf, whilst you are still alive. You choose the person you want to act as your Attorney and what powers you want the Attorney to have. A Power of Attorney (POA) is intended to ensure that your financial affairs and personal welfare can still be dealt with and protected in the event of you being unable to act on your own behalf. It is something often associated with the elderly and young people may ask – why would I need a power of attorney? However nobody knows what is round the corner.