How to set up a lasting power of attorney
Most people can do this themselves on GOV.UK. The one thing to get right is the signing order — it is the commonest reason applications come back.
The short answer
- Decide which type(s) you need, choose attorneys and replacements, and complete the forms on GOV.UK or on paper.
- You need a certificate provider — someone who has known you for two years, or a professional. Not a family member and not an attorney.
- Sign in the right order: you first, then the certificate provider, then your attorneys. Out of order means rejection.
- Register with the Office of the Public Guardian and pay £82 per LPA. Allow several weeks.
- An LPA cannot be used until registered — so register now, not "when it is needed".
What's on this page
Before you start#
Have ready: your date of birth and address; the full names, dates of birth and addresses of your attorneys and any replacements; and the name and address of your certificate provider.
Step 1: Choose the type#
- Property and financial affairs — money, bills, property.
- Health and welfare — medical treatment, care, where you live.
Most people should make both. They are separate documents with separate fees.
Step 2: Choose your attorneys#
They must be 18 or over. For the property and financial LPA they must not be bankrupt or subject to a debt relief order. Choose people you trust with money, which is not always the same as people you love.
Decide how they act:
- Jointly and severally
- Any attorney can act alone. Practical, and it keeps working if one dies or is unavailable. This is what most people choose.
- Jointly
- All must agree on everything. Safer against misuse, but brittle — if one attorney dies or cannot act, the LPA can fail entirely unless replacements are named.
- Jointly for some decisions, severally for others
- Possible, but easy to word badly. Get advice if you want it.
Name at least one replacement attorney. It costs nothing and it is the difference between a working LPA and a Court of Protection application.
Step 3: Choose a certificate provider#
This person confirms you understand what you are signing and are not under pressure. They must be either:
- someone who has known you personally for at least two years — a friend, neighbour or colleague; or
- a professional with relevant skills — your GP, a solicitor, or a social worker.
They cannot be a family member, an attorney, a replacement attorney, or a member of your attorney's family. If capacity might be questioned later, using your GP or a solicitor is worth the fee.
Step 4: Complete the forms#
Use the GOV.UK online service — it is plain-language and it validates as you go — or the paper forms LP1F (finance) and LP1H (health). You can add:
- People to notify when the LPA is registered, giving a check against misuse;
- Preferences — guidance your attorneys should consider but need not follow;
- Instructions — things they must or must not do. Be careful: a badly worded instruction can make the LPA unusable, and is a common reason for rejection.
Step 5: Sign in the correct order#
- You sign the LPA (section 5), witnessed.
- The certificate provider signs (section 10), after you.
- Your attorneys sign (section 11), after the certificate provider.
Each signature must be dated, and the dates must run in that order. Signing out of sequence, or leaving a date blank, means the Office of the Public Guardian returns the application — costing you weeks. Witnesses must be 18 or over, and an attorney cannot witness your signature.
Step 6: Register it#
Send it to the Office of the Public Guardian with the £82 fee per LPA. Registration takes several weeks, and there is a statutory waiting period during which anyone notified can object.
Fee reductions: broadly, 50% off if your gross annual income is under £12,000, and full exemption if you receive certain means-tested benefits. Apply using form LPA120.
Step 7: Tell the people who need to know#
Once registered, give certified copies or the online access code to your bank, pension provider and GP surgery. Doing this in advance saves your attorneys explaining themselves at the worst possible moment.
Common reasons LPAs are rejected#
- Signatures or dates in the wrong order;
- Missing signatures, dates or witness details;
- An ineligible certificate provider — usually a family member;
- Instructions that are unworkable or contradict the LPA's terms;
- Attorney details that do not match between sections;
- Correction fluid or alterations that are not initialled.
Want this checked for your own situation?
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to register an LPA?
Allow several weeks from submission, including a statutory waiting period for objections. Times vary with demand at the Office of the Public Guardian — check the current service standard on GOV.UK. It is the reason you should register immediately rather than waiting until an LPA is needed.
Can I make an LPA online?
You can complete it through the GOV.UK service, but the document must still be printed and physically signed by you, your certificate provider and your attorneys in the correct order, then sent for registration. There is no fully digital route from start to finish.
Do I need a solicitor?
No, and most people do not use one. Consider it if your finances are complex, if capacity might be questioned, if there is family disagreement about who should be appointed, or if you want tailored restrictions — badly worded instructions are a leading cause of rejection.
Can I change my attorneys later?
While you have capacity, yes — but it means making a new LPA and paying the registration fee again. You can also revoke an existing LPA by sending a signed deed of revocation to the Office of the Public Guardian. Neither is possible once capacity has gone.
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.