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Rayner my parade! The importance of specialist advice.
Jemma Brimblecombe
Your application to be a deputy is successful and you have now received the final Order from the Court of Protection (“COP”) appointing you as such. You have/have been provided with a catalogue of documents and financial paperwork; or you may have been provided with nothing at all. You may have already been contacted by various organisations asking for information, or even payment for services. One of the first questions that I am sure may be crossing your mind - where do I start?
Firstly, I must point out that there are two types of deputyship. The distinction between them is important as there are clear rules as to the decisions that can be made under each.
So, you have made the decision to take on the role of deputy for a loved one, friend or even a neighbour, and it’s not a role to be taken lightly. Though it may seem daunting at first, the process can be made less fear inducing by ensuring you follow some simple procedural and practical steps. This series will look to set out the different steps that must be followed and what you can and should do in each one. If you still have any concerns then advice can always be sought from professionals.
Death is a traumatic event for the deceased’s family, friends and those involved in their business. The untimely death of business owner or founder can leave a business in shambles. Combined with a lack of succession planning or inadequate planning this can have significant unintended repercussions. Recent studies suggest that a founding entrepreneur’s death wipes out, on average, 60% of a firm’s sales and cuts jobs by roughly 17%. Also, these companies have a 20% lower survival rate two years after the founder’s death compared to similar firms where the entrepreneur is still alive. A recent Legal & General survey which found that 59% of businesses believed that they would have to stop trading in less than a year after the death or critical illness of a key individual.
Two out of five business owners in the UK are planning to sell, wind up, or crystallize assets within the next year. According to a recent poll conducted by Censuswide, 40% of the 504 surveyed business owners with revenue exceeding £5 million expressed their intention to exit within the next year. Additionally, 23% of UK business owners have expedited their plans to sell or wind down their businesses in the past 12 months.
Jemma Brimblecombe
Charles Richardson
Oliver Oldman
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