Planning a gap year? You will no doubt have spent time deciding on your itinerary and making sure you have all the necessary visas, but have you given any thought to ensuring you know the legal essentials for gap year students?

Most young people will not have had any reason to visit a solicitor before, but if you are planning your dream gap year you should add a trip to the family lawyer to your 'to do' list before setting off on your travels!

What paperwork will I need?

Your solicitor will advise you on what documents are required to meet your particular needs, but the most common are:-

• Power of Attorney - this is a legal document giving someone else legal authority to act on your behalf. It is a common misconception that Powers of Attorney are only for the elderly, but anyone over the age of 16 can put a Power of Attorney in place. The deed can cover financial matters, welfare matters or a combination of both and the financial powers are particularly relevant if you are going to be out of the country for a prolonged period. These include power for your attorney to operate bank accounts on your behalf...which could prove useful if your money runs out while trekking in Peru with no access to internet banking! The Power of Attorney deed would allow your attorney to transfer money from your UK accounts to wherever you are in the world. The financial powers also allow your attorney to ensure that bills and payments back in the UK are made on time without any involvement from you.
• Will - putting a Will in place before a gap year is as good a time as any - hopefully it will not be needed for many years to come, but once it is signed you can enjoy your trip safe in the knowledge that your family are protected should the worst happen.
• Tenancy advice - if you are a home owner, you may be thinking about renting out your property while you are away. Our private landlord team would be happy to advise on the legal requirements.

What now?

Before setting off on your trip, contact us to discuss what paperwork you should be put in place to ensure that things run smoothly at home, leaving you to enjoy seeing the world!