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 my spouse witness my LPA signature?

Yes, as long as your spouse is not named as an attorney or replacement attorney in the LPA. If they are an attorney, they cannot witness the donor's signature.

Can a family member be a witness?

Yes. Family members can witness LPA signatures as long as they are not an attorney witnessing the donor's signature. There is no general prohibition on family members being witnesses.

Does the witness need to be a professional?

No. Any adult aged 18 or over can be a witness. There is no requirement for the witness to be a professional or to have any particular qualifications.

Can I use a video call witness?

No. The witness must be physically present in the same room when the signature is made. Remote or video witnessing is not accepted for LPAs.

What if the witness makes a mistake on the form?

Cross out the error with a single line, write the correction, and have the witness initial the change. Do not use correction fluid.

Can a witness also be a person to notify?

Yes. Being named as a "person to notify" does not prevent someone from acting as a witness.

LPA Witness Requirements — Who Can Witness and Common Errors

Who can witness an LPA signature?

Every signature on a Lasting Power of Attorney must be witnessed. The rules differ slightly depending on whose signature is being witnessed. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons LPAs are rejected by the Office of the Public Guardian.

What are the witness rules for the donor?

When the donor signs the LPA, the witness:

Must be aged 18 or over.
Cannot be any attorney or replacement attorney named in the LPA.
Can be the donor's spouse, partner, child, friend, neighbour, or any other adult — as long as they are not an attorney.
Must be physically present when the donor signs.
Must provide their full name, signature, and address on the form.

What are the witness rules for attorneys?

When each attorney or replacement attorney signs the LPA, the witness:

Must be aged 18 or over.
Can be the donor.
Can be another attorney named in the LPA.
Can be any other adult.
Must be physically present when the attorney signs.
Must provide their full name, signature, and address.

The rules for attorney witnesses are less restrictive than for the donor's witness. This means the donor themselves can witness an attorney's signature.

What are the witness rules for the certificate provider?

The certificate provider's signature does not require a separate witness. They sign Section 10 of the LPA independently.

Can one person witness all the signatures?

Potentially, yes — as long as that person is eligible for each signature they witness. The most practical approach is:

Use a friend or neighbour (not an attorney) to witness the donor's signature.
The same person could also witness the attorneys' signatures, or the donor could witness the attorneys' signatures.

Having a "witnessing session" where everyone signs in order with witnesses present is the most efficient approach.

Does the witness need to read the LPA?

No. The witness does not need to read or understand the LPA. Their role is simply to confirm that they saw the person sign the document. They are attesting to the signature, not the content.

What information must the witness provide?

Each witness must write on the LPA:

Full name (first name and surname)
Address (full postal address including postcode)
Signature

Missing any of this information is a common cause of LPA rejection.

What are the most common witness mistakes?

Using an attorney as the donor's witness

This is the most frequent witnessing error. An attorney named in the LPA absolutely cannot witness the donor's signature. This seems like a convenient choice — the attorney is right there — but it invalidates the LPA.

Witness not being present

The witness must physically see the person sign. They cannot witness a signature that was made earlier or in a different location. Video witnessing is not permitted.

Incomplete witness details

Forgetting to include the witness's address or postcode, or only writing initials instead of a full name, will cause problems.

Using a witness under 18

All witnesses must be 18 or over. A 17-year-old family member cannot act as a witness, even if they are mature and capable.

How can I make sure my witnesses are correct?

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 optional £67 signing guide from myLPA Guide includes clear instructions for witnesses — who is eligible, what they need to provide, and the exact order of signing. This takes the guesswork out of the process.

Start your free LPA questionnaire and get your LPA right first time.