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.

Can I change my attorney after the LPA is registered?

No, you cannot amend a registered LPA. To change your attorneys, you would need to revoke the existing LPA and create a new one — which requires you to still have mental capacity.

Can I appoint the same attorneys for both types of LPA?

Yes. You can use the same attorneys for both your Property and Financial Affairs LPA and your Health and Welfare LPA, or you can choose different people for each.

Should I choose my oldest child?

Not necessarily. Choose the child who is most trustworthy, capable, and willing — not based on birth order. You can also appoint multiple children as attorneys.

What if my chosen attorney lives abroad?

There is no residency requirement, but practical availability matters. An attorney overseas may struggle to manage day-to-day finances or attend medical appointments. Consider them as one of several attorneys, or as a replacement attorney.

Can my attorney pay themselves for their work?

Non-professional attorneys are not entitled to payment, though they can claim reasonable expenses. Professional attorneys (such as solicitors) can charge for their services if this is agreed.

What happens if I do not name a replacement attorney?

If your sole attorney or all of your jointly-appointed attorneys become unable to act and you have no replacements, the LPA becomes unusable. If you have lost capacity, someone would need to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship.

How to Choose Your Attorneys for an LPA — Selection Guide

Why does choosing the right attorneys matter?

Your attorneys will have significant legal power over your finances, your health care, or both. Choosing the wrong person could lead to financial mismanagement, decisions that do not reflect your wishes, or family conflicts. This is arguably the most important decision in the entire LPA process.

The good news is that most people have suitable candidates already in their lives — the challenge is thinking through who is the best fit. For more on attorney requirements, see our guide on who can be an attorney on an LPA.

What qualities should you look for?

Consider these factors when choosing your attorneys:

Trustworthiness

This is the most important quality. Your attorney will have access to your bank accounts (financial LPA) or the power to make medical decisions (health LPA). You must trust them completely.

Willingness

Being an attorney is a serious responsibility. Always discuss it with the person before naming them. Some people may feel uncomfortable with the responsibility, and it is better to find out before the form is signed than after.

Competence

For a financial LPA, your attorney should be reasonably competent at managing money and dealing with paperwork. For a health LPA, they should understand your values around medical care and be able to make difficult decisions under emotional pressure.

Availability

Your attorney needs to be practically available when needed. Someone who lives abroad, travels frequently, or has significant time commitments may not be the best choice for day-to-day financial management. However, they might be fine as one of several attorneys acting jointly and severally.

Age and health

Consider whether your attorney is likely to be able to act when you need them. Appointing someone significantly older than you may mean they lose capacity before you do. This is one reason replacement attorneys are so important.

How many attorneys should you appoint?

You can appoint as many attorneys as you wish, but practical considerations apply:

One attorney: Simple and efficient, but no backup if they become unavailable. Always name replacement attorneys if you go this route.
Two attorneys: The most common choice. Provides a second opinion and backup.
Three or more: More oversight but can be harder to coordinate, especially if they must act jointly.

How should multiple attorneys make decisions?

If you appoint more than one attorney, you must choose how they work together:

Jointly — all must agree on every decision. Maximum oversight, but if one attorney becomes unavailable, the LPA stops working (unless you have replacements). Not practical for routine decisions.
Jointly and severally — they can act together or independently. The most flexible option. Any one attorney can handle day-to-day matters while all can be involved in bigger decisions.
Jointly for some decisions, jointly and severally for others — you can require agreement on major decisions (like selling property) but allow individual action on routine matters (like paying bills).

Most people choose jointly and severally for its flexibility. Learn more at gov.uk/power-of-attorney.

Who are the most common choices?

Spouse or partner — the most popular choice, especially for younger couples.
Adult children — very common for parents setting up LPAs.
Siblings — a good choice if you are single or do not have children.
Close friends — suitable if you do not have close family or want an independent voice.
Professionals — solicitors or financial advisers can act as attorneys but usually charge for their services.

Should you appoint replacement attorneys?

Yes, always. Replacement attorneys step in if an original attorney dies, loses mental capacity, or decides they can no longer act. Without replacements:

If you have a sole attorney and they cannot act, the LPA becomes unusable.
If you have joint attorneys and one cannot act, the LPA stops working entirely.

Appointing at least one replacement is one of the simplest and most important safeguards you can add to your LPA.

How do you name your attorneys in the LPA form?

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 walks you through the attorney selection process step by step, asking for each person's details and helping you decide how they should work together. Everything is explained in plain English.

Common mistakes when choosing attorneys

Not asking first — naming someone without their knowledge can lead to awkward situations and an attorney who is not truly willing.
Choosing based on obligation — picking your eldest child because they "should" be the attorney, rather than the child best suited to the role.
Appointing people who do not get along — if your attorneys cannot work together, joint decisions become impossible.
Forgetting replacement attorneys — leaving no backup is risky, especially for jointly-appointed attorneys.
Not considering the financial LPA bankruptcy rule — an attorney on a Property and Financial Affairs LPA must not be bankrupt.