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 an LPA attorney sell my house?

Yes, an attorney acting under a registered Property and Financial Affairs LPA can sell your property, but only if it is in your best interests. You can add instructions to your LPA to restrict or guide this power — for example, only allowing a sale if you need care home funding.

Do I need to tell the Land Registry about my LPA?

The Land Registry will need to see a certified copy of the registered LPA when your attorney deals with your property. You can also proactively register a restriction on your property title to provide extra protection.

Can my attorney remortgage my home?

Yes, if it is in your best interests. For example, remortgaging to release equity to pay for care could be appropriate. However, the attorney must be able to demonstrate that the decision benefits you.

What if I jointly own my property?

Your attorney can only deal with your share of the property. If the property is jointly owned, both owners should ideally have their own LPAs. A joint owner can continue to manage their own share independently.

Can I prevent my attorney from selling my property?

Yes. You can add a binding instruction to your LPA such as "my attorneys must not sell my property" or "my property may only be sold if I require residential care." Instructions are legally binding on your attorneys.

What happens to my property if I do not have an LPA?

If you lose capacity without an LPA, nobody can sell, manage, or make decisions about your property until the Court of Protection appoints a deputy. This process takes months and costs over £1,000.

LPA and Property — How Power of Attorney Handles Property Decisions

What property decisions can an LPA attorney make?

A registered Property and Financial Affairs LPA gives your attorney broad authority over your property and financial matters. In relation to property specifically, this can include:

Selling your home or other properties
Buying property on your behalf
Managing rental properties — collecting rent, arranging repairs, dealing with tenants
Paying your mortgage, council tax, and utility bills
Remortgaging or releasing equity from your home
Dealing with the Land Registry
Arranging property insurance
Making decisions about property maintenance and improvements

Can an attorney sell the donor's house?

Yes, an attorney acting under a registered Property and Financial Affairs LPA can sell the donor's property. This is one of the most common reasons an LPA is used — for example, when someone needs to move into a care home and their house needs to be sold to fund the care fees.

However, the attorney must act in the donor's best interests. This means:

Selling the property must genuinely benefit the donor
The attorney should obtain a proper market valuation
The sale price should reflect the property's market value
The proceeds must be used for the donor's benefit, not the attorney's

If you are concerned about your property being sold unnecessarily, you can add specific instructions to your LPA. For example, you could instruct that your home should only be sold if you need residential care, or that all attorneys must agree before a property sale. Learn more in our guide to LPA preferences and instructions.

How does the Land Registry handle LPAs?

When an attorney needs to deal with property registered at the Land Registry, they must provide evidence of their authority. The Land Registry accepts a registered LPA as proof that the attorney has authority to act.

For property transactions, the attorney should:

Provide a certified copy of the registered LPA to the conveyancer
Register a restriction on the property's title if appropriate
Sign documents as attorney — for example, "John Smith as attorney for Jane Smith under a registered LPA dated [date]"

What about jointly owned property?

If the property is owned jointly — for example, by a married couple — the attorney can only deal with the donor's share of the property. If both owners want to protect their property interests, both should make LPAs. Read our guide on LPAs for married couples for more detail.

Can attorneys manage rental properties?

Yes. If the donor owns rental properties, the attorney can:

Collect rent from tenants
Arrange and pay for repairs and maintenance
Deal with letting agents
Renew or terminate tenancy agreements
Handle tenant disputes
Pay landlord insurance, mortgage payments, and other property costs

This is particularly important for landlords who become incapacitated — without an LPA, tenants may stop paying rent, repairs may not be done, and the property could deteriorate.

How much does it cost to set up an LPA for property?

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.

A single Property and Financial Affairs LPA costs £39 to generate with myLPA Guide, plus £92 for OPG registration. If you also want a Health and Welfare LPA (recommended), both documents cost £69. Solicitors typically charge £400-£900 for the same service.

What safeguards protect property from attorney misuse?

Several safeguards exist to prevent attorneys from abusing their property powers:

Best interests duty — attorneys must always act in the donor's best interests
Instructions — you can add legally binding instructions, such as "my attorneys must not sell my home unless I need residential care"
Joint attorneys — requiring all attorneys to agree before making major property decisions
People to be told — named individuals who are notified when the LPA is registered and can raise objections
OPG oversight — the Office of the Public Guardian supervises attorneys and investigates concerns

You can start your free LPA questionnaire today and see exactly how these safeguards work in practice.

What about property and inheritance?

An attorney managing property under an LPA must focus on the donor's needs during their lifetime. They cannot make gifts of property or plan for inheritance unless the LPA specifically allows small gifts. For more on this topic, see our guide to LPA and inheritance planning.

LPA and Property — How Power of Attorney Handles Property Decisions

What property decisions can an LPA attorney make?

Can an attorney sell the donor's house?

How does the Land Registry handle LPAs?

What about jointly owned property?

Can attorneys manage rental properties?

How much does it cost to set up an LPA for property?

What safeguards protect property from attorney misuse?

What about property and inheritance?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an LPA attorney sell my house?

Do I need to tell the Land Registry about my LPA?

Can my attorney remortgage my home?

What if I jointly own my property?

Can I prevent my attorney from selling my property?

What happens to my property if I do not have an LPA?

Related Articles

How to Set Up a Lasting Power of Attorney — Step-by-Step 2026 Guide

LPA and Inheritance — What Attorneys Can and Cannot Do

LPA Preferences and Instructions — How to Add Conditions to Your LPA

LPA for Married Couples — A Complete Guide for 2026

What Happens If You Don't Have an LPA? The Real Consequences

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