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.

How long does LPA registration take?

Registration with the OPG currently takes approximately 20 weeks. This is why it is important to register your LPA as soon as it is signed, rather than waiting until you need it.

How much does it cost to register an LPA?

The OPG registration fee is £92 per document. If you are registering both types of LPA (Property and Financial Affairs plus Health and Welfare), the total is £164. Fee exemptions and remissions are available for people on low incomes.

Can I use my LPA before it is registered?

No. An LPA cannot be used until it is registered with the OPG. An unregistered LPA has no legal effect. This is why registering early — while the donor is still healthy — is strongly recommended.

What happens if my LPA is rejected?

If the OPG finds errors, they will contact you. Minor errors may be correctable. Serious errors (like wrong signing order) may require creating a new LPA. Using myLPA Guide reduces error risk as the system checks your form automatically.

Who can apply to register the LPA?

Either the donor or the attorney(s) can apply to register. The process and fee are the same regardless of who applies. In practice, the donor often registers it themselves.

Do I need to register my LPA straight away?

You are not legally required to register immediately, but it is strongly recommended. Registration takes approximately 20 weeks, so delaying means the LPA will not be ready if it is needed urgently. There is no disadvantage to registering early.

How to Register an LPA with the OPG — Step by Step Guide

Why does an LPA need to be registered?

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document, but it has no legal effect until it is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). An unregistered LPA cannot be used to make decisions, access bank accounts, or deal with any organisation. Registration is what makes the document legally valid and usable.

When should you register your LPA?

You can register your LPA as soon as it has been properly signed and witnessed. You do not need to wait until the donor actually needs the attorney to act. In fact, registering early is strongly recommended because:

Registration takes approximately 20 weeks — if you wait until there is a crisis, the LPA will not be ready
Registering while the donor is healthy means any issues can be resolved easily
A registered LPA is ready to use the moment it is needed
For a Property and Financial Affairs LPA, the attorney can use it immediately with the donor's consent — even while the donor has full capacity

Who can apply to register?

Either the donor or the attorney(s) can apply to register the LPA. It does not matter who submits the application — the registration process and fee are the same. In practice, the donor often registers the LPA themselves, but attorneys can do it too.

Step-by-step registration process

Step 1: Complete and sign the LPA

Before you can register, the LPA must be fully completed and signed in the correct order:

The donor signs first (Section 9)
The certificate provider signs next (Section 10)
The attorneys sign last (Section 11)

With myLPA Guide, the questionnaire generates a perfectly completed form with clear signing instructions. The document is checked automatically to minimise errors.

Step 2: Notify people to be told (if applicable)

If you named any "people to be told" on the LPA form, they must be notified before registration. These people have a period to raise objections. You use form LP3 to notify them.

Step 3: Submit the LPA to the OPG

Send the following to the OPG:

The original signed LPA form
The registration fee of £92 per document (by cheque payable to "Office of the Public Guardian" or online payment)
Any fee exemption or remission application if applicable

The OPG address is:

Office of the Public Guardian
PO Box 16185
Birmingham
B2 2WH

Step 4: Wait for registration

Registration currently takes approximately 20 weeks. During this time, the OPG:

Checks the LPA for errors
Allows a period for objections from people to be told
Checks that the donor, attorneys, and certificate provider meet the legal requirements
Registers the LPA on the official register

Step 5: Receive the registered LPA

Once registered, the OPG returns the original LPA with a stamp confirming registration. This is now a legally valid document. You should store the original safely and make certified copies for day-to-day use.

How much does registration cost?

The OPG registration fee is £92 per document. If you are registering both a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA, the total registration cost is £164.

Fee exemptions and remissions

You may qualify for a fee exemption (no fee) or remission (reduced fee) if:

Exemption — the donor receives certain means-tested benefits (e.g., Income Support, Universal Credit, certain elements of Pension Credit)
Remission — the donor's annual income before tax is below £12,000

You apply for exemptions and remissions using the relevant OPG forms, submitted alongside the LPA.

What if the OPG finds an error?

If the OPG finds an error in your LPA, they will contact you. Minor errors (such as a missing date) can sometimes be corrected without starting again. More serious errors (such as incorrect signing order) may require a new LPA to be created.

This is why using a service like myLPA Guide is so valuable — the system checks your form automatically, reducing the risk of errors. Common mistakes that cause rejection include wrong signing order, missing signatures, and incorrect witness details. See our guide to LPA rejection reasons for more detail.

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 full cost breakdown for a complete LPA using myLPA Guide:

Questionnaire: Free
Document generation: £39 per LPA (or £69 for both types — save £9)
Optional signing guide: £67
Optional print and post: £25
OPG registration: £92 per document

Start your free LPA questionnaire today and take the first step towards registering your LPA.