Lasting Powers of Attorney for England and Wales
Make a Lasting Power of Attorney online
Choose who can look after your money, or your health and care, if you ever lose the ability to decide for yourself. Answer questions in a chat and we fill in the official forms. Pick the level of help you want, from do-it-yourself to a full check and registration by Jackson Giles Legal Services.
- Property and financial, and health and welfare
- Single or couples
- Official OPG forms, completed for you
- Prices shown before you start
Your complete journey
Start with your LPAs, then make your will
An LPA covers you while you are alive. It stops when you die, which is when your will takes over. Once your LPAs are done we offer to make your will using the same details.
- Lasting Powers of Attorney
You are here. Name the people who can act for you if you cannot.
- Your will
Who gets what, who looks after your children, who deals with your estate. Your details carry over.
- Keep it up to date
Look again after marriage, children, a move or a big change in your finances.
What is an LPA?
Two documents, two kinds of decision
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people, called attorneys, to make decisions for you if you cannot. It only works once it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), and you can only make one while you still have the mental capacity to understand it.
Property and financial affairs
Lets your attorneys pay bills, manage bank accounts, collect your pension and benefits, and sell or rent out your property. You can decide whether it can be used straight away, with your permission, or only if you lose capacity.
Health and welfare
Lets your attorneys decide about your daily care, medical treatment and where you live. It only applies if you cannot make those decisions yourself, and you can say whether they may decide about life-sustaining treatment.
Work out what you need and what it costs
Choose your LPAs and your level of help
Cost
What does a Lasting Power of Attorney cost?
There are always two parts: the Office of the Public Guardian's registration fee, and the cost of preparing the documents.
| Part | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OPG registration fee | £92 per LPA | £184 for both types. Paid to the OPG. Halved or waived for some people, for example on a low income or certain benefits. |
| Print it yourself | £10 per LPA | No legal advice and no check. You send the forms to the OPG. |
| We print and post | £25 per LPA | Printed forms posted to you. No legal advice and no check. |
| JGLS full service | £200 for 1, £350 for 2, £500 for 4 | We check your answers, hold a telephone consultation, check your signed documents and register them with the OPG. |
Our prices are for preparing the documents. Registration fees go to the OPG. With the full service we collect the OPG fee when your signed documents come back to us.
How it works
From first question to a registered LPA
Answer questions
Who you are, who you want as attorneys and replacements, and how you want them to act. One question at a time in a chat.
Get your documents
Your answers go into the official OPG forms. Choose to print them, have them posted, or have us check them.
Sign in the right order
You, your attorneys and your certificate provider all sign, with witnesses. Signing in the wrong order is a common reason for rejection, so we give you a step-by-step guide.
Register with the OPG
An LPA only works once registered. The OPG currently quotes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes. With the full service, we do this for you.
Who is involved
Attorneys, certificate providers and people to notify
Attorneys
The people who act for you. Must be 18 or over, and cannot be bankrupt if they act for property and financial affairs. You can name replacements.
Certificate provider
An independent person who confirms you understand the LPA and are not being pressured. They cannot be an attorney, a relative, your partner, a business partner, an employee, or staff at your care home.
People to notify
You can name up to five people who are told when you apply. They have three weeks to raise a concern. It is optional, and they cannot be attorneys.
Mental capacity
We ask at the start. If there is any doubt, or any sign of pressure from others, we stop and offer a call with our team instead.
Why bother
What happens without a Lasting Power of Attorney?
Being married or having grown-up children does not give anyone automatic authority over your bank account or your care. If you lose capacity without an LPA, a relative has to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as your deputy. That takes longer, costs more, and the court sets conditions. Meanwhile bills may not get paid and decisions wait.
An LPA is the cheaper and quicker way to make sure the people you trust can act, and it is your choice who they are.
Next: make your will
An LPA ends when you die. Your will decides who looks after your children and who receives your estate. We reuse the details you have already given us, so it is much quicker the second time. A single will is £40 and mirror wills for a couple are £80.
Questions
Lasting Power of Attorney questions, answered
How much does a Lasting Power of Attorney cost?
The Office of the Public Guardian charges £92 to register each LPA, so £184 for a property and financial affairs LPA and a health and welfare LPA together. The fee is halved or waived for some people. On top of that, the price of preparing the documents depends on the help you choose: print them yourself, have them printed and posted, or have a person check and register them.
How long does it take to register a Lasting Power of Attorney?
The Office of the Public Guardian currently says registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if the application has no mistakes. People you chose to notify have 3 weeks to raise concerns during that time, so start well before you need the LPA.
What is the difference between the two types of LPA?
A property and financial affairs LPA lets your attorneys deal with money, bills and property. A health and welfare LPA lets them make decisions about your care, medical treatment and where you live, and only applies if you cannot make those decisions yourself. Most people make both.
When should I make a Lasting Power of Attorney?
While you are well and have mental capacity. You cannot make one once you have lost the ability to understand it, and the alternative is an application to the Court of Protection, which takes longer and costs more.
Who can be an attorney or certificate provider?
Attorneys must be 18 or over, and cannot be bankrupt if they act for property and financial affairs. A certificate provider is an independent person who confirms you understand the LPA. They cannot be an attorney, a relative, your partner, a business partner, an employee, or staff at your care home.
Can I make a Lasting Power of Attorney without a solicitor?
Yes. You can complete the forms yourself and register them with the Office of the Public Guardian. WillBot makes the forms easier to complete. The do-it-yourself options do not include legal advice or a check, so choose the Jackson Giles Legal Services full service if you want one.
What is the difference between a Lasting Power of Attorney and a will?
A Lasting Power of Attorney covers you while you are alive, if you cannot make decisions. A will covers what happens to your estate after you die. An LPA ends when you die, and a will does nothing before then, so most people need both.
Does this cover Scotland and Northern Ireland?
No. WillBot is for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different documents and different rules. If you live elsewhere, we can pass your details to our team.