How much does a lasting power of attorney cost?
£82 per LPA to register. A couple wanting both types pays four fees. The alternative — a deputyship — costs several times more, every year.
The short answer
- £82 per LPA to register with the Office of the Public Guardian.
- Two people wanting both types = four LPAs = four fees.
- 50% reduction if gross annual income is under £12,000; full exemption on certain means-tested benefits.
- A solicitor typically adds a few hundred pounds per LPA for drafting and handling.
- Without an LPA, a Court of Protection deputyship costs far more — application fee, assessment, security bond and an annual supervision fee for life.
What's on this page
The government fee#
The Office of the Public Guardian charges £82 to register each LPA. Making the LPA itself is free if you do it yourself — the fee is purely for registration, and an unregistered LPA cannot be used.
| Scenario | LPAs | Registration fees |
|---|---|---|
| One person, finance only | 1 | £82 |
| One person, both types | 2 | £164 |
| Couple, both types each | 4 | £328 |
Reductions and exemptions#
- 50% reduction (remission): if your gross annual income is under £12,000.
- Full exemption: if you receive certain means-tested benefits — for example Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Guarantee Pension Credit, or Housing Benefit.
Apply with form LPA120 and evidence. Check the current qualifying benefits on GOV.UK before applying, as the list is updated periodically.
If you use a solicitor#
Expect a few hundred pounds per LPA on top of the registration fee, often discounted when done alongside a will. What you are buying is drafting of any restrictions, someone to check the signing order, and — where capacity might later be questioned — a professional record that you understood what you were doing.
Worth paying for if: your finances are complex, there is family disagreement, capacity is borderline, or you want tailored instructions. Otherwise the GOV.UK service handles it perfectly well.
What it costs to not have one#
If you lose capacity without an LPA, your family must apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed deputy. That means:
- a court application fee;
- a medical capacity assessment, which the assessor charges for;
- an annual supervision fee, payable every year for as long as the deputyship lasts;
- a security bond, priced on the value of the assets;
- often solicitor fees, because the application is not straightforward;
- and months of delay before anyone can pay a bill.
First-year costs commonly run into four figures, and the supervision continues indefinitely. Deputies also have to submit annual reports. Set against £82 paid once, in advance, the comparison is not close.
What you are actually paying for#
It helps to separate the three things people lump together as "the cost of an LPA":
- Making it — free, if you use the GOV.UK service yourself. The forms are written in plain language and validated as you go.
- Registering it — £82, payable to the Office of the Public Guardian. Non-negotiable, because an unregistered LPA cannot legally be used.
- Professional help — optional. A few hundred pounds per LPA for a solicitor to draft, check and lodge it.
Most people can skip the third. It earns its money where capacity might be questioned later, where the family does not agree on who should be appointed, or where you want restrictions written in — badly worded restrictions are a leading cause of rejected applications and unusable LPAs.
Budgeting for a couple#
Plan for four documents, not two. Each partner should have both a property and financial affairs LPA and a health and welfare LPA, because they cover completely different situations: one keeps the bills paid, the other gives someone a voice in a hospital.
At £82 each that is £328 in registration fees for a couple — comparable to a pair of mirror wills, and frequently discounted if you have both done at the same time by the same firm.
Hidden costs to ask about#
- Certified copies. Institutions often want a certified copy rather than the original. Solicitors charge per copy; you can certify copies yourself as the donor, which is free.
- Changing your mind. Swapping attorneys means a new LPA and a new registration fee, so name replacements at the outset.
- Storage. Some firms charge annually to hold the original. A drawer at home is fine, provided your attorneys know where.
Is it worth it?#
Two LPAs for one person costs £164 — less than a typical single will, and arguably more urgent. A will matters after you die. An LPA matters while you are alive, and its absence is felt immediately: frozen accounts, unpayable bills, a house that cannot be sold, and medical decisions made without your voice in them.
How to set one up, step by step.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the £82 fee per person or per document?
Per document. A single person making both a property and financial affairs LPA and a health and welfare LPA pays it twice. A couple making both each pays it four times.
Can I get an LPA for free?
The registration fee can be waived entirely if you receive certain means-tested benefits, and halved if your gross annual income is under £12,000. Making the LPA itself costs nothing if you use the GOV.UK service rather than a solicitor.
Do I have to pay again if I change my attorneys?
Yes. Changing attorneys means revoking the existing LPA and making a new one, with a new registration fee. It is worth naming replacement attorneys at the outset to reduce the chance of needing to.
Are LPA fees the same in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
No. Scotland has continuing and welfare powers of attorney registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland), with different fees and rules. Northern Ireland uses enduring powers of attorney. The £82 fee applies in England & Wales.
This is general information, not legal advice. Everyone's situation is different — speak to a qualified adviser before acting. KeepTheLot is an independent information service covering England & Wales. We are not a law firm.
Part of our guide to power of attorney.