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 created online legally the same as one on paper?

Yes. The method you use to fill in the form does not affect its legal validity. Whether completed online or by hand, the LPA is the same standardised government document.

Can I complete the entire LPA process online?

You can fill in the form online, but it must still be printed and signed by hand. There is no fully digital LPA process in 2026.

If you use an online tool, you will need to print the completed form for signing. If you do not have a printer, myLPA Guide offers a print-and-post service for £25.

Is the government tool really free?

Yes, the government Make an LPA tool is completely free. You still need to pay the £92-per-document OPG registration fee, but the tool itself costs nothing.

Can I switch methods halfway through?

You can, but you would generally need to start over in the new method. Your answers from one tool cannot be imported into another.

LPA Online vs Paper — Which Method Is Best in 2026?

What are the different ways to create an LPA?

In 2026, there are three main methods for creating a Lasting Power of Attorney:

Government online tool — free, at gov.uk/power-of-attorney
Online LPA service — such as myLPA Guide, with guided questionnaires and form generation
Paper forms — downloaded and filled in by hand

Each method produces the same legally valid document. The difference is in the experience, the cost, and the risk of errors.

How does the government online tool work?

The government's Make an LPA service is a free web-based tool that walks you through the LPA form section by section. You enter your details online, and the tool generates a PDF that you print and sign.

Pros:

Completely free to use
Official government tool
Basic validation catches some errors

Cons:

No plain-English explanations of legal terms
Cannot preview answers on the real official form as you go
Limited guidance on preferences and instructions wording
No error checking beyond basic field validation

How does myLPA Guide compare?

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.

Pros:

Free questionnaire — you only pay for the generated document
Plain-English explanations at every step
Live preview of your answers on the real official form
Error checking before you generate the document
Both documents for £69 (saving £9)

Cons:

Document generation costs £39 per document (or £69 for both)

What about filling in paper forms by hand?

You can download the LP1F and LP1H forms from gov.uk and fill them in with a pen. This is the most traditional method but comes with the highest risk of errors.

Pros:

No computer needed
Free to download and fill in
Some people prefer working on paper

Cons:

Much higher risk of errors — no automated checking
Messy handwriting can cause delays with the OPG
Corrections must be carefully initialled
Takes longer (45–60 minutes vs 15–30 minutes online)
Easy to miss sections or sign in the wrong order

Which method has the fewest errors?

Online methods have significantly lower error rates than paper forms. The government tool catches basic errors like missing fields, while guided services like myLPA Guide go further by checking for common mistakes like ineligible certificate providers, incorrect attorney combinations, and problematic preference wording.

Errors matter because the OPG charges £92 per document to register an LPA, and this fee is non-refundable if your application is rejected. Getting it right the first time saves both money and time.

Do you still need to print and sign?

Yes, regardless of which method you use to fill in the form. In 2026, all LPA forms must still be printed on paper and signed with a physical (wet) signature. Digital signatures are not accepted. Each signature needs a witness who is 18 or over.

If you do not have access to a printer, myLPA Guide offers a print-and-post service for £25 that sends you your completed forms ready to sign.

Cost comparison table

Paper forms: Free to download + £92 registration per document = £184 for both LPAs
Government online tool: Free to use + £92 registration per document = £184 for both LPAs
myLPA Guide: £69 for both documents + £92 registration per document = £253 for both LPAs
Solicitor: £400–£900 + £92 registration per document = £584–£1,084 for both LPAs

Which method should you choose?

For most people, an online method is the clear winner. The question is whether you want the free-but-basic government tool or the more guided (but low-cost) myLPA Guide experience.

If you are confident reading legal documents and do not need any hand-holding, the government tool works fine. If you want plain-English guidance, a live preview on the official form, and error checking before you submit, start your free LPA questionnaire at myLPA Guide. Paper forms are best avoided unless you have no access to the internet.

LPA Online vs Paper — Which Method Is Best in 2026?

What are the different ways to create an LPA?

How does the government online tool work?

How does myLPA Guide compare?

What about filling in paper forms by hand?

Which method has the fewest errors?

Do you still need to print and sign?

Cost comparison table

Which method should you choose?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an LPA created online legally the same as one on paper?

Can I complete the entire LPA process online?

Do I need a printer?

Is the government tool really free?

Can I switch methods halfway through?

Related Articles

How to Fill In LPA Forms — Section-by-Section Walkthrough

Lasting Power of Attorney Forms Explained — LP1F and LP1H

Cheapest Way to Get an LPA — Save Hundreds in 2026

How to Do an LPA for Free — Complete 2026 Guide

LPA Cost Breakdown — Every Fee Explained (2026)

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