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A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you (the 鈥榙onor鈥�) appoint one or more people (known as 鈥榓ttorneys鈥�) to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.

This gives you more control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions (you 鈥榣ack mental capacity鈥�).

You do not need to live in the UK or be a British citizen.

There are 2 types of LPA:

• health and welfare
• property and financial affairs

You can choose to make one type or both.

How to make a lasting power of attorney

1. Choose your attorney (you can have more than one).

2. Fill in the forms to appoint them as an attorney.

3. Register your LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian (this will take 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes in the application).

It costs 拢82 to register an LPA unless you get a reduction or exemption.

Health and welfare lasting power of attorney

Use this LPA to give an attorney the power to make decisions about things like:

• your daily routine, for example washing, dressing, eating
• medical care
• moving into a care home
• life-sustaining treatment

Property and financial affairs lasting power of attorney

Use this LPA to give an attorney the power to make decisions about money and property for you, for example:

• managing a bank or building society account
• paying bills
• collecting benefits or a pension
• selling your home

Help deciding if you should make a lasting power of attorney

Contact the Office of the Public Guardian if you need help.

You can choose one or more people to be your attorney. If you appoint more than one, you must decide whether they鈥檒l make decisions separately or together.

Who can be your attorney

Your attorney needs to be 18 or over. They could be:

• a relative
• a friend
• a professional, for example a solicitor
• your husband, wife or partner

You must appoint someone who has the mental capacity to make their own decisions.

Your attorney does not need to live in the UK or be a British citizen.

When choosing an attorney, think about:

• how well they look after their own affairs, for example their finances
• how well you know them
• if you trust them to make decisions in your best interests
• how happy they will be to make decisions for you

Read about an attorney鈥檚 responsibilities to help you with your decision.

If there鈥檚 more than one attorney

If you鈥檙e appointing more than one person, you must decide if they鈥檒l make decisions:

• separately or together - sometimes called 鈥榡ointly and severally鈥� - which means attorneys can make decisions on their own or with other attorneys
• together - sometimes called 鈥榡ointly鈥� - which means all the attorneys have to agree on the decision

You can also choose to let them make some decisions 鈥榡ointly鈥�, and others 鈥榡ointly and severally鈥�.

Replacement attorneys

When you make your LPA you can nominate other people to replace your attorney or attorneys if at some point they cannot act on your behalf anymore.

You can make a lasting power of attorney (LPA) online or using paper forms.

Either way, you need to get other people to sign the forms, including the attorneys and witnesses.

You can get someone else to use the online service or fill in the paper forms for you, for example a family member, friend or solicitor.

You must register your LPA or your attorney will not be able to make decisions for you.

Make an LPA online

Create or sign in to an existing account to:

• make an LPA
• continue making an LPA that you鈥檝e already started

You can then:

• get help and guidance at each step
• save your forms and complete them later
• review your answers and fix any mistakes

You need to print out the forms and sign them when you鈥檝e finished.

Use the paper forms

Download the forms and print them out.

Signing the forms

You need to sign the forms before you send them off. They also need to be signed by:

• the attorneys
• witnesses
• a 鈥榗ertificate provider鈥�, who confirms you鈥檙e making the LPA by choice and you understand what you鈥檙e doing

Everyone must sign the same original document. They cannot sign copies or use digital signatures.

Who can be a witness or certificate provider

Witnesses and certificate providers must be 18 or over.

Attorneys can witness each other sign, but they cannot:

• witness you sign
• sign as the certificate provider

You cannot be a witness if you鈥檙e the person appointing an attorney.

Get help

Ask the Office of the Public Guardian about help you can get if you:

• do not have a computer or printer
• want to use the online service but need some help

When you鈥檝e made your lasting power of attorney (LPA), you need to register it with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).

It takes 8 to 10 weeks to register an LPA if there are no mistakes in the application.

You can apply to register your LPA yourself if you鈥檙e able to make your own decisions.

Your attorney can also register it for you. You鈥檒l be told if they do and you can object to the registration.

Notify people

Before you register, send a form to notify people (LP3) to all the 鈥榩eople to notify鈥� (also called 鈥榩eople to be told鈥�) you listed in the LPA.

They鈥檒l have 3 weeks to raise any concerns with OPG.

How to register

Apply to register as soon as you鈥檝e sent forms to notify people.

To register, you need to sign your completed LPA form and send it to OPG.

If you create your LPA form using the online service, you will need to print it out to do this.

The address is also on the form. Make sure you include the original LPA form and the fee.

You can send a certified copy if you do not have the original form. Write a covering letter to explain why you do not have the original.

If you made your LPA with an older paper form

You can register by filling in form LP2 if you made your LPA:

• on forms LPA114 or LPA117 before 1 January 2016
• on forms LP PA or LP PW before 1 April 2011

Otherwise you鈥檒l need to make a new LPA.

How much it costs

It costs 拢82 to register each LPA unless you get a reduction or exemption.

This means it costs 拢164 to register both a property and financial affairs LPA and a health and welfare LPA.

You can pay by:

• credit or debit card
• cheque

Make your cheque payable to 鈥極ffice of the Public Guardian鈥� and write your name on the back. Send it to OPG with your forms.

If you make a mistake on your form

Depending on the type of mistake, OPG may let you correct it and apply again within 3 months for 拢41.

Get a reduction or exemption

You can apply for a reduction if you earn less than 拢12,000. You might also be able to apply for an exemption if you鈥檙e on certain benefits, such as Income Support.

Download and fill in the application form. The form has more information about eligibility.

You can confirm that a copy of your registered lasting power of attorney (LPA) is genuine by 鈥榗ertifying鈥� it if you鈥檙e still able to make your own decisions.

Your attorney can use the certified copy to prove they have permission to make decisions on your behalf, for example to manage your bank account.

You can also make certified copies of your LPA before it has been registered. You or your attorney can use this to register your LPA if you do not have the original form.

How to certify a copy

Write the following text on the bottom of every page of the copy:

鈥淚 certify this is a true and complete copy of the corresponding page of the original lasting power of attorney.鈥�

On the final page of the copy, you must also write:

鈥淚 certify this is a true and complete copy of the lasting power of attorney.鈥�

You need to sign and date every page.

Other ways to certify a copy

Copies of your LPA can also be certified by:

• a solicitor
• a person authorised to carry out notarial activities

You (if you still have mental capacity) or one of your attorneys must tell the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) if:

• you or an attorney change name or address
• an attorney dies

If you or an attorney change name or address

You must tell OPG if you or your attorney changes name and send a copy of the marriage certificate or deed poll that shows the new name. Do not send any original documents.

You must tell OPG if you or your attorney changes address, but you do not need to send any supporting documents.

If one of your attorneys dies

You must tell OPG and send them the original LPA and all certified copies.

If the attorney died outside of the United Kingdom, you must also send a copy of the death certificate.

What happens to the existing LPA

OPG will cancel the LPA if the donor dies, or if an attorney dies and either:

• the attorneys had to make all decisions together - this is called acting 鈥榡ointly鈥�
• there was only one attorney

A cancelled LPA will be destroyed. If you want OPG to send it back instead, include a note asking for its return along with a return address.

If an attorney dies and the attorneys were able to make any decisions on their own (called acting 鈥榡ointly and severally鈥�), OPG will update the LPA instead. You must include a return address when you send the LPA.

Contact OPG

If you email or write to OPG you should include:

• your full name, address and date of birth
• whether you are the attorney or the donor
• the donor鈥檚 full name address and date of birth (if you are the attorney)
• the reference number on your LPA

You can ask the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) to remove an attorney if your lasting power of attorney (LPA) is registered and you still have mental capacity to make decisions.

You will need to send OPG a written statement called a 鈥榩artial deed of revocation鈥�.

Use the following wording. Replace the words in the square brackets with the relevant details.

Partial deed of revocation

鈥淭his partial deed of revocation is made by [donor鈥檚 name] of [donor鈥檚 address].

1: I granted a lasting power of attorney for property and financial affairs/health and welfare [delete as appropriate] on [date donor signed the lasting power of attorney] appointing [name of first attorney] of [address of first attorney] and [name of second attorney] of [address of second attorney] to act as my attorney(s).

2: I hereby revoke [attorney鈥檚 name that you are revoking] ONLY from the lasting power of attorney and the authority granted to him/her.

Signed and delivered as a deed [donor鈥檚 signature]
Date signed [date]
Witnessed by [signature of witness]
Full name of witness [name of witness]
Address of witness [address of witness]鈥�

Where to send a partial deed of revocation

Send the partial deed of revocation to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) with the original LPA document. You must also tell your attorney or attorneys that you鈥檙e ending your LPA.

You can end your lasting power of attorney (LPA) yourself - if you have mental capacity to make that decision.

You need to send the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) both:

• the original LPA
• a written statement called a 鈥榙eed of revocation鈥�

Use the following wording for the deed of revocation. Replace the words in the square brackets with the relevant details.

Deed of revocation

鈥淭his deed of revocation is made by [your name] of [your address].

1: I granted a lasting power of attorney for property and financial affairs/health and welfare (delete as appropriate) on [date you signed the lasting power of attorney] appointing [name of first attorney] of [address of first attorney] and [name of second attorney] of [address of second attorney] to act as my attorney(s).

2: I revoke the lasting power of attorney and the authority granted by it.

Signed and delivered as a deed [your signature]
Date signed [date]
Witnessed by [signature of witness]
Full name of witness [name of witness]
Address of witness [address of witness]鈥�

You can also complain if you have concerns about your attorney, for example if they鈥檙e not carrying out their responsibilities properly.

Other ways a lasting power of attorney can end

Your LPA may end if your attorney:

• loses the ability to make decisions - 鈥榣oses mental capacity鈥�
• divorces you or ends your civil partnership if they鈥檙e your husband, wife or partner
• becomes bankrupt or they鈥檙e subject to a Debt Relief Order (DRO) - if they鈥檙e a property and financial affairs attorney
• is removed by the Court of Protection
• dies

If your only attorney dies

Your LPA will end if your attorney dies and you have no replacement attorneys. You must tell OPG and send them:

• the original LPA
• all certified copies of the LPA
• a return address where your documents can be sent back to

Your LPA can continue if:

• there are other attorneys who can act 鈥榡ointly and severally鈥� - but not if they are only allowed to act 鈥榡ointly鈥�
• there are replacement attorneys

If you die

Your LPA will end automatically when you die. Your affairs will be looked after by your executors or personal representatives from that point, not your attorney.