Table of Contents
- What You’ll Need Before You Start
- Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Lasting Power of Attorney
- Step 2: Choosing an Attorney for LPA
- Step 3: Complete the Application Form
- Step 4: Understand LPA Witness Requirements
- Step 5: Register with the Office of the Public Guardian
- LPA Registration Fees and LPA Application Processing Time
- Common Mistakes That Cause LPA Rejection
- Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: September 21, 2026
What You’ll Need Before You Start
Setting up a lasting power of attorney is one of the most sensible things you can do for your family, and it is far less complicated than most people expect. This guide walks you through every step, from choosing the right type of LPA to registering it with the Office of the Public Guardian.
Before you begin, gather a few things:
- The full names, addresses and dates of birth of your chosen attorneys
- Details of a certificate provider (someone who confirms you understand what you are signing)
- A witness for each signature
- A way to pay the registration fee
Start the process while you are healthy. Capacity can change quickly after a stroke or a fall, and once it is gone, you cannot make an LPA at all.
Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Lasting Power of Attorney
There are two types of LPA, and most people benefit from having both. Each one covers a different part of your life.
Property and Financial Affairs LPA
This lets your attorney manage money, pay bills, and handle property. It can start as soon as it is registered, or only when you lose capacity, depending on what you choose.
Health and Welfare LPA
This covers medical care, where you live, and daily routines. It only takes effect when you can no longer make these decisions yourself.
| LPA Type | What It Covers | When It Starts |
|---|---|---|
| Property and Financial Affairs | Money, bills, property, investments | As soon as registered, or on loss of capacity |
| Health and Welfare | Medical care, housing, daily care | Only when capacity is lost |
Step 2: Choosing an Attorney for LPA
An attorney is the person you trust to make decisions for you. You can appoint one person or several.
Think carefully about who you choose:
- Pick someone reliable and good with money
- Consider whether they live nearby
- Talk to them first so they understand the role
- Appoint a replacement attorney in case your first choice cannot act
GOV.UK guidance on choosing attorneys
Step 3: Complete the Application Form
The application form asks for your details, your attorneys’ details, and how you want decisions made. You can complete it online or on paper.
Key details to get right:
- Spell every name exactly as it appears on official documents
- Use current addresses
- State clearly how your attorneys should act
Step 4: Understand LPA Witness Requirements
Every signature needs a witness. The witness must watch you sign, then sign the form themselves.
Your witness cannot be:
- One of your attorneys
- A named replacement attorney
- A member of your family who stands to benefit
If your witness is also an attorney, the LPA is invalid. This is one of the most common reasons forms are rejected.
Step 5: Register with the Office of the Public Guardian
An LPA is not valid until it is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. You can send the forms yourself, or use a service that handles the whole process for you.
An unregistered LPA has no legal power. Registration is the step that makes it count.
LPA Registration Fees and LPA Application Processing Time
The registration fee is set by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and is charged per LPA, not per person. If you make both a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA, you pay the fee twice. Always confirm the current figure on the official site before you pay, because it is reviewed periodically.
Who pays, and when
The fee is normally paid by the donor, the person making the LPA, at the point of submission, not at the point the LPA is used. You can pay by debit or credit card through the online service, or by cheque if you post a paper form. If someone else is paying on the donor’s behalf, that is allowed; the payment simply needs to clear before the application is accepted.
Reductions and exemptions
The OPG operates a means-tested reduction and, in some cases, a full exemption. In broad terms:
- A reduction is available where the donor’s income is low and they receive certain means-tested benefits.
- A full exemption applies where the donor receives certain income-related benefits, or where the fee would cause hardship.
- You must apply for the reduction or exemption at the same time as you submit the LPA, you cannot claim it retrospectively.
Current OPG registration fee, reductions and exemptions
How long registration actually takes
There is no statutory deadline, and the OPG publishes a current expected turnaround rather than a guaranteed one. In practice, the timeline splits into three phases:
- The mandatory waiting period. Once the OPG accepts the application, it writes to the people named on the form, including the attorneys and any named persons, to give them a chance to object. This waiting period is a fixed number of weeks and cannot be shortened, even if everyone responds immediately.
- Examination. After the waiting period, the application is checked for errors, missing signatures and eligibility of the certificate provider. Straightforward applications are usually registered within a few weeks of this stage.
- Correction, if needed. If the OPG finds a problem, it writes to you with a specific correction. Each round of correspondence adds weeks, and some corrections require the form to be re-signed and re-witnessed.
What you receive
Budget for two fees if you are making both types of LPA, apply for any reduction at the same time as submission, and treat the OPG’s advertised turnaround as a floor, not a ceiling.
If you want the paperwork handled correctly the first time, Arrange My LPA manages the entire application from preparation to submission, with free home visits nationwide.
Common Mistakes That Cause LPA Rejection
Most rejected LPAs are not rejected because of anything dramatic. They are rejected because of a small, mechanical error that could have been caught in five minutes. What follows is the pattern practitioners see most often, plus the one role that causes more confusion than any other: the certificate provider.
The certificate provider, explained properly
A certificate provider is an independent person who signs to confirm two things: that the donor understands what the LPA does, and that the donor is not being pressured into making it. Without a valid certificate, the LPA cannot be registered. This is not a formality, it is the safeguard that stops someone being signed up to an LPA against their will.
There are two routes to being a certificate provider:
- A knowledge-based provider. Someone who has known the donor personally for at least two years, such as a friend, neighbour, colleague or GP. They must be able to say they genuinely know the donor.
- A skills-based provider. Someone with the relevant professional skills, such as a solicitor, a registered healthcare professional, or another regulated professional. They do not need to have known the donor for two years, but they must be able to assess capacity and understand the LPA.
Who cannot act as certificate provider:
- Any of the attorneys, or a named replacement attorney
- A member of the donor’s family, or the attorney’s family
- A partner or spouse of an attorney
- Anyone under 18
- Anyone employed by a care home where the donor lives, or by the donor’s attorney
The other errors that get applications returned
- A witness who is also an attorney. The witness must be independent of the attorneys. If the same person signs as both, the LPA is invalid.
- Signatures in the wrong order. The donor signs first, then the certificate provider, then the attorneys. Signing out of sequence is a common reason for return.
- Names that do not match official documents. Use the name exactly as it appears on the passport, driving licence or birth certificate, including middle names and any former names.
- Missing or mismatched dates. Every signature needs a date, and the dates must be consistent with the order of signing.
- Sections left blank. If a section does not apply, write ‘N/A’ rather than leaving it empty; a blank field is treated as an omission.
- Using an old form version. The OPG updates the forms periodically. Download the current version rather than using a saved copy.
- Appointing attorneys jointly when you meant jointly and severally. This is a drafting error rather than a rejection error, but it causes real problems later when one attorney cannot act.
How to catch these before you submit
Work through the form in the order the signatures are required, and check each one against the rules above. Then read the whole document back line by line as if you were the OPG examiner seeing it for the first time. A five-minute check at this stage routinely saves weeks of correspondence.
If your witness is also an attorney, the LPA is invalid. If your certificate provider is a family member or an attorney, the LPA will be returned. Both are among the most common reasons applications fail.
Before you post anything, photograph every signed page. If the OPG queries a signature or a date, having a dated image of the original makes the correction far quicker to resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a solicitor to make a lasting power of attorney?
You can complete and register a lasting power of attorney without a solicitor. The forms are available from the Office of the Public Guardian and can be filled in online or on paper. However, a solicitor or professional service can help if your affairs are complex, if you own a business, or if you want reassurance that the document will be accepted first time. Many people choose professional support to avoid delays caused by application mistakes.
How much does it cost to set up a lasting power of attorney?
The main cost is the LPA registration fees charged by the Office of the Public Guardian for each document you register. There may also be fees if you use a solicitor or a professional service to prepare the forms. Some people qualify for a reduced fee or an exemption based on income. Check the current fee on the official government website before you apply so you know exactly what to budget.
How long does it take to register a lasting power of attorney?
The Office of the Public Guardian usually takes several weeks to process a correctly completed application. The LPA application processing time can be longer if there are errors on the form, if the witness or certificate provider details are incomplete, or if anyone raises an objection. You can ask the OPG to prioritise your case in certain circumstances, but you should apply early to avoid delays.
What happens if you don’t have a lasting power of attorney?
Without an LPA, no one has automatic authority to manage your finances or make health decisions for you if you lose mental capacity. Your family would need to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as a deputy, which is slower, more expensive and gives them less control over your wishes. Setting up an LPA while you have capacity keeps decision-making authority with someone you trust.
Setting up a lasting power of attorney is a straightforward process when you know the steps. The challenge is getting every detail right, and that is where most people come unstuck. Arrange My LPA offers expert advice, free home visits nationwide, and a complete application service from start to finish. Call 0800 368 9770 for an appointment and protect your wishes today.