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 is the difference between LP1F and LP1H?

LP1F is for Property and Financial Affairs (money, property, bills). LP1H is for Health and Welfare (medical treatment, care, living arrangements). They are two separate forms creating two separate LPAs.

Do I need to fill in both forms?

You do not have to, but it is recommended. Each form covers different decisions. Without both, there will be gaps in what your attorneys can do on your behalf.

How long are the LPA forms?

Both forms are over 20 pages long. However, many sections are short (just a name and address) and the bulk of the pages are instructions and guidance.

Can I fill in the forms by hand?

Yes, you can download the PDF forms and fill them in by hand. However, this increases the risk of errors. Using an online tool like myLPA Guide is generally faster and catches mistakes before you submit.

What is the difference between preferences and instructions?

Preferences are wishes you would like your attorneys to consider — they are not legally binding. Instructions are binding requirements that your attorneys must follow. Using unclear wording can cause problems, so it is important to be specific.

Can I use the same form for my spouse?

No. Each person needs their own separate LPA forms. You cannot share an LPA with another person.

Lasting Power of Attorney Forms Explained — LP1F and LP1H

What are the LPA forms?

A Lasting Power of Attorney is created using one of two official government forms:

LP1F — Property and Financial Affairs LPA
LP1H — Health and Welfare LPA

These are the only forms recognised by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). You cannot create a valid LPA using any other document. Both forms follow the same basic structure, but there are important differences in what they cover and when they can be used.

What does the LP1F form cover?

The LP1F (Property and Financial Affairs) form creates an LPA that covers all financial decisions, including:

Managing bank accounts and paying bills
Buying, selling, or renting property
Managing investments and pensions
Dealing with tax affairs
Claiming benefits on your behalf

A key feature of the LP1F is that it can be used while you still have mental capacity — with your consent. This makes it useful if you are physically unable to manage your finances (for example, during a hospital stay) but can still make decisions.

What does the LP1H form cover?

The LP1H (Health and Welfare) form creates an LPA that covers decisions about:

Medical treatment and medication
Where you live and your living arrangements
Your daily routine and care needs
Life-sustaining treatment (if you choose to give your attorneys this power)

Unlike the LP1F, the Health and Welfare LPA can only be used when you lack mental capacity. Your attorneys cannot use it while you can still make your own decisions. Read our full guide on Health and Welfare LPA for more detail.

What sections are in the LPA forms?

Both LP1F and LP1H forms share the same section structure:

Sections 1–4: Your details and your attorneys

Section 1 asks for the donor's personal details — your name, date of birth, and address. Section 2 is where you name your attorneys. Section 3 covers replacement attorneys. Section 4 asks how your attorneys should make decisions — jointly, jointly and severally, or a mixture.

Section 5: Restrictions and conditions (LP1F) / Life-sustaining treatment (LP1H)

On the LP1F, this section deals with when your attorneys can start acting. On the LP1H, this is where you choose whether your attorneys can make decisions about life-sustaining treatment — one of the most important decisions in the entire form.

Section 6: Preferences and instructions

This is where you can add your personal wishes. Preferences are things you would like your attorneys to consider but are not legally binding. Instructions are legally binding requirements your attorneys must follow. Getting the wording right matters — unclear instructions can cause confusion or even invalidate part of your LPA.

Sections 7–8: People to notify and fee information

Section 7 lets you name up to five people who will be notified when the LPA is registered. Section 8 is for the registration fee payment — currently £92 per document.

Sections 9–11: Signatures

These are the most critical sections. Section 9 is the donor's signature. Section 10 is the certificate provider's declaration. Section 11 is where each attorney signs. These must be completed in order — Section 9 first, then 10, then 11. Signing out of order will invalidate the form.

How do you fill in the forms correctly?

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.

When you use the myLPA Guide questionnaire, each question maps directly to a section on the official form. You can see your answers appear on the real LP1F or LP1H as you go, which means you know exactly what your completed form will look like before you pay anything.

What are the most common form-filling mistakes?

Writing instructions when you mean preferences (or vice versa).
Not specifying how multiple attorneys should make decisions.
Leaving the life-sustaining treatment section blank on the LP1H.
Using correction fluid (Tipp-Ex) — any corrections must be initialled by the donor and witnessed.
Signing sections out of the required order.

For a full list of errors to avoid, see our guide on common LPA mistakes.

Where can you download the LPA forms?

The blank forms are available as free PDF downloads from gov.uk. However, filling in a 20+ page legal form by hand increases the risk of errors. Using an online tool — whether the government's own service or a guided questionnaire like myLPA Guide — is generally faster and more reliable.