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.

Is an LPA made without a solicitor legally valid?

Yes. The LPA form is a standardised government document. It has the same legal standing regardless of who fills it in.

What if I make a mistake on my LPA form?

If the OPG finds an error, they will reject your application and you will lose your £92 registration fee. Using a service like myLPA Guide helps catch errors before submission.

Can my certificate provider be a solicitor?

Yes, a solicitor can act as your certificate provider — this is different from hiring a solicitor to prepare your LPA. Any solicitor can certify your LPA, even if they did not help you fill in the form.

How long does it take to make an LPA without a solicitor?

Filling in the forms takes 15–30 minutes per LPA. The signing process may take a few days to coordinate. Registration takes 8–12 weeks.

Do I need to understand law to make an LPA?

No. The form is designed to be completed by anyone. Services like myLPA Guide explain each section in plain English as you go.

Can I make an LPA for someone else without a solicitor?

You can help someone fill in their LPA form, but the donor (the person the LPA is for) must have mental capacity and must sign it themselves. You cannot make an LPA on behalf of someone who has already lost capacity.

How to Make a Lasting Power of Attorney Without a Solicitor

Do you need a solicitor to make an LPA?

No. A Lasting Power of Attorney is a standardised government form. You do not need any legal qualifications to fill it in, and you do not need a solicitor to create one. The form is the same whether a solicitor completes it or you do it yourself — the LPA has exactly the same legal standing either way.

According to the Office of the Public Guardian, hundreds of thousands of people successfully create their own LPAs every year without professional help.

How much do solicitors charge for an LPA?

Solicitor fees for LPA preparation vary widely, but most charge between £400 and £900 for both LPA documents (Property and Financial Affairs, and Health and Welfare). Some high-street firms charge even more. This is on top of the £92-per-document OPG registration fee.

That means using a solicitor for both LPAs could cost you £584–£1,084 in total — a significant expense for what is ultimately filling in a government form.

How can you make an LPA without a solicitor?

There are two main DIY routes:

Option 1: The government's free online tool

The government offers a free tool at gov.uk that lets you fill in your LPA online. It is functional but basic — it asks you questions and generates a form, but it does not explain legal terms in plain English or let you preview your answers on the real official form before you finalise everything.

Option 2: A low-cost online LPA service

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.

Unlike the government tool, myLPA Guide walks you through a plain-English questionnaire, explains each section as you go, and shows you exactly how your answers appear on the real LP1F or LP1H form. You only pay when you are happy with your answers and want the completed document generated.

What is the process for making your own LPA?

Step 1: Decide which LPA types you need. Most people benefit from both Property and Financial Affairs and Health and Welfare LPAs.
Step 2: Choose your attorneys. Pick people you trust completely. They must be over 18, and for financial LPAs they must not be bankrupt. See our guide on how to choose your attorneys.
Step 3: Choose a certificate provider. This must be an independent person — either someone who has known you well for at least two years, or a professional like a doctor or solicitor. They cannot be one of your attorneys or a family member of an attorney.
Step 4: Fill in the forms. Use the government tool or start your free LPA questionnaire at myLPA Guide.
Step 5: Print and sign. The forms must be printed and signed in the correct order — donor first, then certificate provider, then attorneys. Each signature needs a witness.
Step 6: Register with the OPG. Send your signed forms to the OPG with the £92 registration fee per document.

What are the risks of making an LPA without a solicitor?

The main risks are administrative errors rather than legal ones. Common mistakes include:

Signing sections in the wrong order.
Choosing an ineligible certificate provider.
Not having signatures properly witnessed.
Using unclear wording in preferences and instructions.

These mistakes can lead to the OPG rejecting your application, which means losing your £92 fee. Using a guided service like the UK's cheapest LPA service significantly reduces this risk, because the questionnaire is designed to catch errors before you submit.

When might you actually need a solicitor?

There are some situations where legal advice is genuinely useful:

You have a complex estate involving business interests, trusts, or overseas property.
There are family disputes or concerns about undue influence.
You want to include very specific or unusual instructions in your LPA.
You are making an LPA alongside a complex will or estate plan.

For the vast majority of people, however, the standard LPA form covers everything needed, and a solicitor adds significant cost without significant benefit.

How much can you save by doing it yourself?

Here is a quick comparison for both LPA documents:

Solicitor: £400–£900 (solicitor fees) + £184 (two registration fees) = £584–£1,084
myLPA Guide: £69 (both documents) + £184 (two registration fees) = £253
Government tool: £0 (no service fee) + £184 (two registration fees) = £184

By making your LPA without a solicitor, you could save anywhere from £331 to £900.

How to Make a Lasting Power of Attorney Without a Solicitor

Do you need a solicitor to make an LPA?

How much do solicitors charge for an LPA?

How can you make an LPA without a solicitor?

Option 1: The government's free online tool

Option 2: A low-cost online LPA service

What is the process for making your own LPA?

What are the risks of making an LPA without a solicitor?

When might you actually need a solicitor?

How much can you save by doing it yourself?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an LPA made without a solicitor legally valid?

What if I make a mistake on my LPA form?

Can my certificate provider be a solicitor?

How long does it take to make an LPA without a solicitor?

Do I need to understand law to make an LPA?

Can I make an LPA for someone else without a solicitor?

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LPA DIY vs Solicitor vs Online — Cost Comparison (2026)

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Common LPA Mistakes — 12 Errors That Could Invalidate Your LPA

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