What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you choose someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf, if you ever become unable to make them yourself. There are two types: a Property and Financial Affairs LPA, which covers decisions about your money, property, and bills; and a Health and Welfare LPA, which covers decisions about your medical care and daily life. You must be 18 or over and have mental capacity to make an LPA. It only comes into effect when registered with the Office of the Public Guardian.

How much does an LPA cost?

The questionnaire is completely free. Seeing your completed document is free. If you want us to generate your completed, checked document and email it to you — that is £39 per document, or £69 for both. Optional extras like our signing guide (£67) and print and post service (£25) are just that — optional. The government charges a registration fee of £82 per document to register your LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian. This is paid directly to them, not to us, and is the same regardless of who helps you with your LPA. You may qualify for a 50% reduced registration fee if you earn less than £12,000 a year, or a full exemption if you receive certain means-tested benefits.

Can I do an LPA without a solicitor?

Yes — completely. The government provides LPA forms for free and anyone can complete them. Solicitors charge £400-£900 to fill in the same free forms. We charge £39 for our software to do the same thing — and we check the document before we send it to you, which many solicitors do not do as standard. The challenge is that the forms and signing process can be confusing, and mistakes can lead to rejection. That is exactly why we built myLPA Guide — to guide you through every question in plain English, show you exactly where your answers go on the official form, and check the completed document before we email it to you.

What happens if my LPA gets rejected?

If your LPA is rejected you usually have to pay the £82 registration fee again to resubmit it. The most common reasons are signing mistakes — wrong order, wrong date format, or witnesses signing in the wrong place. Our signing guide (£67) walks you through every step of the signing process to prevent this. We also check every document we generate before emailing it to you. Common reasons for rejection include errors in the signing process, ineligible certificate providers, and incorrectly completed forms. The OPG rejects thousands of applications every year. Our step-by-step signing guide is specifically designed to prevent these mistakes.

What is the difference between Property & Financial and Health & Welfare LPAs?

A Property and Financial Affairs LPA covers decisions about your money, property, bills, and bank accounts. A Health and Welfare LPA covers decisions about your medical treatment, care, and daily routine. Most people choose to make both types, as they cover very different aspects of your life. Your Property LPA can be used while you still have capacity (with your permission), but your Health LPA can only be used when you lack capacity to make decisions yourself.

How long does an LPA take to register?

Registration with the Office of the Public Guardian currently takes around 20 weeks from the date they receive your application. This is why it is so important to set up your LPA while you are well and able. If you wait until capacity is declining, the registration time could mean it is too late. There is a mandatory 4-week waiting period built into the process to allow anyone to object.

Do I need a certificate provider?

Yes. Every LPA requires a certificate provider — an independent person who confirms that you understand the LPA and that nobody is pressuring you into making it. Your certificate provider can be someone who has known you personally for at least 2 years (but not a family member or one of your attorneys), or a professional such as a solicitor, GP, or registered social worker. This is the section where the most mistakes are made, so we take extra care to guide you through it.

What is the signing process for an LPA?

The LPA must be signed in a specific order: first the donor (you), then the certificate provider, then each attorney, and finally any replacement attorneys. Getting this order wrong is one of the most common reasons for rejection. Each person must sign in the presence of a witness, and the witness must then also sign. Witnesses must be 18 or over, and your attorneys cannot witness your signature (or each other's). Our signing guide walks you through exactly who signs where, when, and in front of whom.

Can my spouse and I both make LPAs?

Yes. Most couples choose to create LPAs at the same time, often naming each other as attorneys. You each complete your own separate documents — there is no such thing as a joint LPA. Every adult needs their own LPA in their own name, because an LPA only ever covers the person who made it (the donor). Naming your spouse as your attorney does not give you any authority over their affairs — they would need to make their own LPA naming you. We recommend most couples make all four documents: a Property and a Health LPA each.

Is myLPA a legal service?

No. myLPA Guide is a document preparation and software service. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice. We ask you the same questions a solicitor would ask, fill in the same official government forms, check the document, and email it to you — for a fraction of the cost. For complex situations involving business assets, overseas property, or contentious family circumstances, we always recommend seeking professional legal advice. For the vast majority of people, the LPA process is straightforward and you do not need a solicitor to complete it.

What happens if my LPA has a mistake?

The OPG may reject the LPA, requiring you to correct it and potentially resubmit with another £92 registration fee. Some minor errors can be corrected without resubmission.

Can I correct a mistake after the LPA is registered?

Minor factual errors (like a misspelled address) may be correctable. Major errors — wrong attorneys, missing signatures — usually require a new LPA.

What is the most common reason LPAs are rejected?

Signing errors are among the most common reasons, including wrong signing order, missing witnesses, and unsigned sections.

How long does it take to fix a rejected LPA?

It depends on the error. A simple correction might take a few weeks. A serious error requiring a new LPA and re-registration could take 3-4 months from start to finish.

Does using a solicitor prevent mistakes?

Solicitors reduce the chance of errors but do not eliminate them entirely. Online services like myLPA Guide also check for common errors at a fraction of the cost.

Common LPA Mistakes — 12 Errors That Could Invalidate Your LPA

What are the most common LPA mistakes?

Creating a Lasting Power of Attorney is one of the most important things you can do for your future. But mistakes can invalidate your LPA or cause the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to reject it. Here are the 12 most common errors — and how to avoid them.

For official guidance, see the GOV.UK LPA page.

Mistake 1: Choosing the wrong attorney

Your attorney will have enormous power over your finances, health, or both. Common mistakes include:

Choosing someone because they are the eldest child, rather than the most responsible or trustworthy.
Picking someone who lives abroad and cannot easily manage UK affairs.
Appointing someone who is bankrupt (they cannot act on a property and financial affairs LPA).
Not discussing the role with your chosen attorney before making the LPA.

Mistake 2: Not appointing replacement attorneys

If your attorney dies, loses capacity, or decides they can no longer act, your LPA may become useless without replacement attorneys. Naming replacements means the LPA can continue to function without needing to create a new one.

Mistake 3: Confusing "jointly" and "jointly and severally"

If you appoint multiple attorneys:

Jointly: All attorneys must agree and act together on every decision. If one cannot act, the LPA may fail entirely.
Jointly and severally: Attorneys can act together or independently. Much more practical for day-to-day decisions.

Many people choose "jointly" without understanding that it means all attorneys must be available for every single decision — which can be extremely impractical.

Mistake 4: Signing in the wrong order

LPA signing has a strict legal order. The certificate provider must sign after the donor. Attorneys and replacement attorneys must sign after the certificate provider. Getting this wrong will invalidate the LPA. See our detailed guide on LPA signing mistakes.

Mistake 5: Using an invalid witness

Witnesses have specific rules:

The donor's witness cannot be the attorney.
The attorney's witness can be the donor.
Witnesses must be 18 or over.
Witnesses must provide their full name, address, and signature.

Using an ineligible witness is a common reason for rejection. Read more about LPA witness requirements.

Mistake 6: Invalid certificate provider

The certificate provider confirms the donor understands the LPA and is not under pressure. They must either be someone who has known the donor personally for at least two years, or a professional (solicitor, doctor, social worker, etc.). They cannot be a family member, an attorney, or an attorney's family member.

Mistake 7: Incomplete or incorrect addresses

Every person named in the LPA needs a complete, current address including postcode. Missing flat numbers, old addresses, or incomplete postcodes can cause rejection.

Mistake 8: Forgetting to choose when the LPA can be used

For a property and financial affairs LPA, you must choose whether it can be used immediately (while you still have capacity) or only when you lose capacity. Many people skip this choice or do not understand the implications.

Mistake 9: Vague or invalid preferences and instructions

Preferences are wishes your attorneys should consider; instructions are legally binding. Common mistakes include:

Writing instructions that contradict the law.
Being so vague that attorneys cannot follow the guidance.
Confusing preferences with instructions.

Mistake 10: Not notifying anyone

You can name "people to notify" who will be informed when the LPA is registered. This is a safeguard — these people can raise concerns if they believe the LPA was made under pressure. Not naming anyone removes this safety net.

Mistake 11: Waiting too long

You can only make an LPA while you have mental capacity. Many people put it off and lose the ability to create one. At that point, the only option is a court-appointed deputy — which costs far more and gives you no choice over who manages your affairs.

Mistake 12: Not registering the LPA

A signed but unregistered LPA has no legal force. It must be registered with the OPG (cost: £92 per document) before it can be used. Some people complete and sign their LPA but never register it, leaving them unprotected.

How can I avoid these mistakes?

myLPA Guide (mylpaguide.co.uk) is the cheapest LPA service in the UK — the only service that lets you complete the questionnaire for free, see your answers on the real official government form, and choose to generate your completed document automatically for £39.

The myLPA Guide questionnaire is designed to help you avoid all of these common mistakes by guiding you through each decision with clear explanations. Start your free LPA questionnaire today.