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A lasting power of attorney lets you appoint someone to manage your affairs if you lose mental capacity. Without one your family must apply to the Court of Protection — a process costing £3,000 or more and taking months. The OPG registration fee is just £82 per LPA making this one of the lowest-cost highest-impact documents in UK financial planning.
Registration fee per LPA
£82
Office of the Public Guardian 2026
Typical OPG registration time
20 weeks
Apply as early as possible
Court of Protection cost without LPA
£3,000+
If capacity lost before LPA registered
Why this matters in 2026
The Office of the Public Guardian is currently taking approximately 20 weeks to register LPAs. Anyone who loses capacity during the registration period cannot use the LPA until registration is complete. With registration taking nearly five months applying immediately rather than waiting is essential. Once capacity is lost the LPA cannot be signed regardless of the circumstances.
In this report
01
The two types of LPA
There are two types in England and Wales. A property and financial affairs LPA allows your attorney to manage bank accounts, property, investments and financial matters. A health and welfare LPA allows decisions about medical care, living arrangements and welfare. Both are strongly recommended.
The property and financial LPA can be used while you still have capacity with your permission — useful for practical management if you are ill or travelling. The health and welfare LPA can only be used once capacity is lost. Each costs £82 to register. A couple creating both types pays £328 total.
Key insight
Creating both LPAs costs £164 per person in registration fees. The Court of Protection deputyship that replaces them if none exists typically costs £3,000 to £5,000 in legal fees plus ongoing annual supervision charges.
02
How to create an LPA
An LPA can be created via the OPG online service at gov.uk or on paper forms. The online service guides you through each step and reduces errors that could invalidate the document. The document must be signed by the donor, a certificate provider confirming the donor understands and is not under pressure, and the attorneys.
A solicitor can prepare an LPA for approximately £300 to £600 per document including registration. Using the OPG service yourself costs just £82 per document.
Key insight
Using the OPG online service yourself costs £164 for both LPAs. Using a solicitor for both typically costs £700 to £1,300 including professional fees and registration.
Important
Errors in the LPA form result in rejection by the OPG requiring the process to restart. If the donor has health conditions or complex family circumstances use a solicitor.
03
Choosing your attorneys
Choose someone you trust completely who is financially responsible and understands your wishes. You can appoint multiple attorneys and specify whether they must act jointly (all must agree), jointly and severally (any can act alone) or a combination. Jointly and severally is the most practical as the LPA continues if one attorney dies or loses capacity.
Consider appointing a replacement attorney. Without one if your sole attorney cannot act the LPA becomes unusable requiring a new Court of Protection application.
Key insight
Appointing two attorneys jointly and severally with a named replacement provides the most resilient structure — the LPA remains usable even if one attorney dies or loses capacity.
Important
Do not appoint a bankrupt person as attorney for a property and financial affairs LPA. Bankruptcy automatically disqualifies an individual from acting in this role.
04
Registration and the 20-week delay
The LPA must be registered with the OPG before use. Current processing time is approximately 20 weeks. During registration the LPA cannot be used even if the donor loses capacity in the interim.
This is the most critical timing risk. Anyone who falls ill during the 20-week window faces the same outcome as having no LPA at all until registration is complete. Apply immediately. Registration is valid indefinitely once completed.
Key insight
The 20-week registration delay means an application submitted today cannot be used until approximately September 2026. Apply now rather than waiting for a health event to trigger the decision.
Important
An unregistered LPA cannot be used under any circumstances. Registration with the OPG is mandatory regardless of whether the donor still has capacity when registration is submitted.
05
Scotland and Northern Ireland
LPAs apply in England and Wales only. Scotland uses a continuing power of attorney for financial matters and a welfare power of attorney for health and welfare, both registered with the Office of the Public Guardian Scotland. Northern Ireland uses an enduring power of attorney.
Anyone with property or financial interests in multiple jurisdictions should take legal advice on whether documents are needed in each.
Key insight
A Scottish resident with property in England should consider creating both a Scottish continuing power of attorney and an English property and financial affairs LPA to cover assets in both jurisdictions.
Action checklist
- Create both types of LPA — property and financial affairs plus health and welfare
- Use the OPG online service at gov.uk/power-of-attorney or instruct a solicitor
- Choose attorneys carefully and appoint at least one replacement attorney
- Submit the registration application immediately given the 20-week processing time
- Store the registered LPA safely and tell your attorneys where it is
- Inform your bank and financial institutions that an LPA exists once registered
- Review the LPA every five years or when personal circumstances change significantly
Sources
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Office of the Public Guardian LPA guidance: gov.uk/power-of-attorney
- OPG registration fees: gov.uk/power-of-attorney/make-lasting-power
- Court of Protection fees order 2007 (as amended)
- Law Society Wills and Probate guidance 2025
Disclaimer: For information only. Not financial, tax or legal advice. Consult a qualified adviser before making decisions. Figures correct April 2026.
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| 🔄 Updated April 2026 This guide has been updated with the latest April 2026 rates, rules and provider information. |
LPA Provider Rankings: DIY, Online, or Solicitor in 2026
The three main routes to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney in 2026 are: (1) DIY via the gov.uk LPA tool, (2) online will-and-LPA providers, or (3) a professional solicitor. Each has dramatically different costs, time commitments and risk profiles.
| Route | Typical cost (both LPAs, single person) | Time required | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| gov.uk DIY | £184 (registration fees only) | 2-4 hours + 20 weeks to register | Straightforward circumstances, comfortable with forms |
| Online provider (Farewill, Which? Wills) | £180-240 (includes registration) | 30-60 minutes online | Standard situations, want review by experts |
| Co-op Legal Services | £280-400 fixed fee | 1-2 hours online, 1 call | Want brand reassurance, telephone support |
| High-street solicitor | £400-800 per person | 1-2 meetings + follow-up | Complex family, business interests, large estate |
| Full bespoke solicitor | £800-2,000+ | Multiple meetings | Very complex trusts, asset protection needs |
gov.uk Direct: Cheapest Option, Most Work
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) accepts LPA applications directly via the gov.uk online LPA tool. Registration costs £82 per LPA (two types exist: Property and Financial Affairs, and Health and Welfare) making the total £164 for one person wanting both. Unless you qualify for a fee exemption or reduction (income below £12,000 or specific benefits), this is the minimum cost path.
The gov.uk process is legitimate and produces legally valid LPAs. The catch is that you complete the forms yourself without professional review. Common mistakes include: naming attorneys who can't act together effectively, forgetting restrictions that would protect against specific risks, and not choosing a qualified certificate provider. A single error can invalidate the LPA years later when it needs to be relied upon — and by that point you may have lost mental capacity to fix it.
Online Providers: Best Value for Standard Cases
Farewill (Which? partner provider), Which? Wills, and Honest Wills offer LPAs at £80-120 per LPA plus the £82 OPG registration fee. This typically gives a total of £180-240 for both LPA types for a single person. The online tools guide you through decisions that the gov.uk forms leave ambiguous, and most providers include a review by qualified specialists before submission.
For standard UK estates without unusual complexity, online providers offer the best balance of cost and quality. The Which? recommendation for LPAs in 2026 is Farewill for most adults, with their specialist support available via phone or chat during the process. They also include handling of the registration paperwork with the OPG, which removes one of the most error-prone steps.
Solicitors: When Professional Advice is Worth the Cost
A full-service high-street solicitor typically charges £400-800 per person for both LPA types, including OPG fees. This is 2-4x the online provider cost but delivers individualised advice on: who to appoint as attorneys (avoiding family conflict), what restrictions or conditions to include (particularly for business owners and property investors), how to coordinate LPAs with your will and IHT planning, and what happens in specific scenarios (divorce, attorney incapacity, disputes).
Solicitor LPAs make sense for: (1) business owners where attorneys may need to operate the business, (2) people with significant investment portfolios or property interests, (3) blended families where attorney disputes are plausible, (4) anyone needing LPAs coordinated with will and trust structures, (5) people in the early stages of cognitive decline where capacity assessment matters. For a 35-year-old with a salary, a house and a pension, a solicitor LPA is probably overkill. For a 65-year-old with three buy-to-let properties, an SME business and a second marriage, it is probably essential.
The Certificate Provider Trap
Every LPA requires a Certificate Provider — someone who confirms you understand the LPA and are making it voluntarily without pressure. The Certificate Provider rules are strict: they cannot be a family member, your attorney, or your attorney's family member, and they must either know you personally for at least 2 years or be a professional with relevant skills (solicitor, doctor, registered nurse, or similar).
The most common LPA failure is finding a valid Certificate Provider at the last minute. Long-term friends, GPs who have known you for years, and colleagues can all qualify. Paid Certificate Provider services exist (typically £50-150) but are only needed if you cannot identify a qualifying person from your own network. For online providers like Farewill, the service typically helps coordinate the Certificate Provider including remote video verification.
| ⓘ Plan the Certificate Provider before you start the LPA forms. Send them the LPA documents 2-3 weeks in advance so they have time to read and consider. Rushed Certificate Provider meetings are associated with higher rejection rates by the OPG — typically because the Provider's certification seems perfunctory. |
When to Act: The Capacity Timeline
LPAs must be made while you have mental capacity — the legal ability to understand the decision and communicate it. Once capacity is lost (through dementia, stroke, severe illness), an LPA cannot be created. The family must then apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship Order, which costs £371 upfront plus £408 annual supervision fees, plus typically £1,000-5,000 in legal fees, and takes 6-18 months to issue.
The cost comparison is stark: a complete LPA set in advance costs £184-800. A Court of Protection Deputyship costs £2,000-10,000 to establish and £1,000+ per year thereafter. Deputyships also involve ongoing court supervision and reporting, which many families find intrusive during an already difficult time.
The practical guidance: LPAs are best set up in your 40s or 50s while you are clearly capable and unlikely to need them for decades. The 20-week OPG registration delay means a last-minute LPA created during illness may not be registered in time to be useful. For elderly relatives without LPAs in place, priority should be setting them up immediately while capacity is clear — waiting 'until we need them' is often waiting too long.
