The Government is planning to overhaul the current lasting power of attorney (LPA) system which has been labelled slow and difficult to use.
An LPA is a legal document that allows people to appoint someone else to make decisions about their welfare, money or property.
They are often used by older people to choose someone to make decisions for them when they lose the mental capacity to do so in the future, but they can be made by anyone over the age of 18.
There are currently more than five million registered Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales.
Under the current paper-based application process, it can take months for powers to be handed over.
The new proposals would see the service become predominantly digital, with alternatives remaining for those unable to use the internet.
A three-month consultation will examine how technology can be used to reform the process of witnessing, improving access, and speeding up the service.
The government is also considering creating a fast-track for families who need to quickly set up an LPA for a relative who has suffered a sudden change in their health.
And it will look at making the process of objecting to an LPA simpler, as well as introducing new safeguards to protect against fraud and abuse.
Nick Goodwin, Public Guardian for England and Wales, said the proposals would make the service “fit for the modern world”.
“More people are taking the vital step to plan for the future by applying for lasting powers of attorney, and we want to make sure that it is as safe and simple as possible to do so,” he added.
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