Public Guardian news roundup

Table of fees

A new table of fees for the Office of the Public Guardian comes into force on 1 April 2014. Although the majority of fees will increase, those relating to powers of attorney remain the same.

Website relaunch

The launch of the OPG’s new website is planned for April. Updates will be put on the news page of the current website. The OPG will invite customers to test a version of the new website. If you would like to be involved, please contact Amanda Kerr: akerr@scotcourts.gov.uk

Please note that if you have saved any pages from the current site as a favourite, the link will be removed once the new website is live.

EPOAR update

To date, 465 firms have signed up to the electronic power of attorney registration (EPOAR) facility, and 48% of all PoA submissions received in 2013 were via EPOAR. With a turnaround of four working days, feedback remains positive. Recent customer comments include: “much more effective than the paper based system”; and “works well once you get used to it”.

Revised and improved EPOAR guidance notes for solicitors will be available in April. If you are interested in testing these and providing feedback, please contact akerr@scotcourts.gov.uk