The complete guide · England & Wales
How to make a lasting power of attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) lets someone you trust act for you if you can no longer decide for yourself. Making one comes down to four steps: choose your people, fill in the official forms, sign in a strict order, and register with the Office of the Public Guardian for £92 per LPA.
Every figure on this page was checked against GOV.UK guidance on 21 July 2026, including the fee change of 17 November 2025 and the remission rules updated 2 February 2026. Last reviewed 21 July 2026.
Free to make. The Office of the Public Guardian charges £92 to register each LPA. That fee goes to the government, not to us. You may not have to pay it — some people qualify for a reduction or an exemption.
The four steps
- 01
Choose your people
Decide which LPAs you need (property and financial affairs, health and welfare, or both), choose one to four attorneys plus a replacement, and pick a certificate provider — an independent person who has known you two years or more, or a professional.
- 02
Fill in the official forms
The LP1F (property and financial affairs) and LP1H (health and welfare) forms, plus the LPA120 if you qualify for a fee reduction. Free on GOV.UK, or free with myLPA where an estate planner checks your answers by phone before you sign.
- 03
Sign in the strict order
The donor signs first with a witness, the certificate provider signs second, and every attorney signs last, each with a witness. The dates must follow this order or the OPG cannot register the LPA.
- 04
Register with the OPG
Post the forms with the £92 fee per LPA. GOV.UK states registration takes 8 to 10 weeks when there are no mistakes, including a waiting period in which people you chose to notify have 3 weeks to raise concerns.
An attorney, in this context, is not a lawyer. It is simply the person you authorise to act for you — usually a spouse, adult child or close friend, aged 18 or over. How to choose well.
The signing order
The LPA must be signed in this exact order — the official LP12 guide states it “must be signed in this order or OPG cannot register it.” The dates on the form prove the sequence.
| Order | Who signs | Witness needed? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The donor (the person the LPA is for) | Yes — the witness signs straight after |
| 2 | The certificate provider | No |
| 3 | Every attorney and replacement attorney | Yes — one each |
A witness must be 18 or over and cannot be an attorney named on the LPA. The full witness rules.
What it costs in 2026
The registration fee rose from £82 to £92 per LPA on 17 November 2025. The claim form for reductions, the LPA120, was updated with new remission and exemption guidance on 2 February 2026.
| Situation | Fee per LPA | How to claim |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | £92 | Paid with the application |
| Gross income under £12,000 a year | £46 (50% remission) | Form LPA120 + proof of income |
| Certain means-tested benefits | £0 (exemption) | Form LPA120 + benefit letter from the last 12 months |
| Receiving Universal Credit | Assessed for remission only | Form LPA120 — UC cannot qualify for a full exemption |
| Repeat application (after a previous one) | £46 | Noted on the application |
Source: GOV.UK power of attorney fees (updated 14 July 2026, checked 21 July 2026). Making the document is free with myLPA and on GOV.UK; solicitors typically charge £300–£650 per LPA on top of these fees.
What happens if you never make one
If you lose capacity without an LPA, nobody has automatic authority: not a spouse, not children. Banks can freeze accounts, including joint ones. The house cannot be sold to fund care, and doctors decide treatment on a best-interests basis. The only remaining route is a deputyship through the Court of Protection — months of waiting, fees that reliably run into thousands of pounds, and a judge choosing who acts for you.
An LPA can only be made while you still have mental capacity. The consequences in full, and what a dementia diagnosis means for the timing.
Common questions
How much does it cost to make a lasting power of attorney?
Making the document can be free: GOV.UK’s tool is free, and so is myLPA, where a qualified estate planner also checks your answers by phone. The Office of the Public Guardian charges £92 per LPA to register (the fee rose from £82 on 17 November 2025). On a gross income under £12,000 you pay half (£46), and certain means-tested benefits waive the fee entirely.
Who signs a lasting power of attorney first?
The donor signs first, in front of a witness. The certificate provider signs second. The attorneys and any replacement attorneys sign last, each with a witness. The OPG rejects applications signed in the wrong order.
How long does a lasting power of attorney take?
Filling in the forms takes well under an hour. GOV.UK states registration takes 8 to 10 weeks when there are no mistakes in the application. Applications with errors take considerably longer because they must be corrected and resubmitted, and there is no paid fast-track.
Does Universal Credit make LPA registration free?
No — this changed with the LPA120 guidance updated on 2 February 2026. A donor receiving Universal Credit is assessed for a remission (a reduced fee), not an exemption. Full exemptions attach to certain other means-tested benefits, claimed on the LPA120 form with evidence.
What forms do I need for a lasting power of attorney?
LP1F for property and financial affairs, LP1H for health and welfare — one form per LPA. If you are claiming a fee reduction or exemption, form LPA120 goes in with the application. These are the official OPG forms whoever helps you prepare them.
What happens if I lose capacity without an LPA?
Nobody — not a spouse, not children — automatically gets authority. Banks can freeze accounts and doctors decide treatment. Your family must apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship: months of waiting, fees that reliably run into thousands, and a judge choosing who acts for you.
Make yours now, while it’s straightforward
Free to make, and a qualified estate planner rings you to check every answer — the signing order, the witnesses, the certificate provider — before you sign anything.
Last reviewed 21 July 2026 against GOV.UK guidance. England and Wales only.