Enduring Powers of Attorney Act 1985

Duty to give notice to relatives

1Subject to paragraph 3 below, before making an application for registration the attorney shall give notice of his intention to do so to all those persons (if any) who are entitled to receive notice by virtue of paragraph 2 below.

2(1)Subject to the limitations contained in sub-paragraphs (2) to (4) below, persons of the following classes (referred to in this Act as " relatives'0 are entitled to receive notice under paragraph 1 above—

(a)the donor's husband or wife ;

(b)the donor's children ;

(c)the donor's parents ;

(d)the donor's brothers and sisters, whether of the whole or half blood;

(e)the widow or widower of a child of the donor;

(f)the donor's grandchildren;

(g)the children of the donor's brothers and sisters of the whole blood;

(h)the children of the donor's brothers and sisters of the half blood;

(i)the donor's uncles and aunts of the whole blood ; and

(j)the children of the donor's uncles and aunts of the whole blood.

(2)A person is not entitled to receive notice under paragraph 1 above if—

(a)his name or address is not known to the attorney and cannot be reasonably ascertained by him ; or

(b)the attorney has reason to believe that he has not attained eighteen years or is mentally incapable.

(3)Except where sub-paragraph (4) below applies, no more than three persons are entitled to receive notice under paragraph 1 above and, in determining the persons who are so entitled, persons falling within class (a) of sub-paragraph (1) above are to be preferred to persons falling with class (p) of that sub-paragraph, persons falling within class (b) are to be preferred to persons falling within class (c) of that sub-paragraph ; and so on

(4)Notwithstanding the limit of three specified in sub-paragraph (3) above, where—

(a)there is more than one person falling within any of classes (a) to (j) of sub-paragraph (1) above, and

(b)at least one of those persons would be entitled to receive notice under paragraph 1 above,

then, subject to sub-paragraph (2) above, all the persons falling within that class are entitled to receive notice under paragraph 1 above.

3(1)An attorney shall not be required to give notice under paragraph 1 above to himself or to any other attorney under the power who is joining in making the application, notwithstanding that he or, as the case may be, the other attorney is entitled to receive notice by virtue of paragraph 2 above.

(2)In the case of any person who is entitled to receive notice under paragraph 1 above, the attorney, before applying for registration, may make an application to the court to be dispensed from the requirement to give him notice; and the court shall grant the application if it is satisfied—

(a)that it would be undesirable or impracticable for the attorney to give him notice ; or

(b)that no useful purpose is likely to be served by giving him notice.