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LPA attorney and replacement planner
Built from the Office of the Public Guardian's GOV.UK guidance and forms, checked 29 October 2026. England and Wales. General information, not legal advice.
Quick answer
How you appoint attorneys decides whether your LPA survives losing one of them. With attorneys appointed "jointly and severally" the others carry on. With one attorney, or attorneys appointed "jointly", the LPA stops working when one can no longer act, unless you named replacement attorneys.1 Use the planner to see what your choices mean.
Attorney and replacement planner
What happens if an attorney can no longer act
An attorney stops acting if they die, lose mental capacity, choose to stop ("disclaim"), divorce or end a civil partnership with the donor (unless section 7 says they can continue), or, for a property and financial affairs LPA only, become bankrupt or subject to a debt relief order.1
| Your set-up | No replacements | With replacements |
|---|---|---|
| One attorney | The LPA stops working | The replacement steps in |
| Jointly and severally | The others carry on; the LPA isn't cancelled | The others carry on and a replacement steps in |
| Jointly | All the attorneys stop; the LPA stops working | All the original attorneys stop and the replacements replace them all at once, unless section 7 says otherwise |
| Mixed | Joint decisions can't be made; the others can still make the rest | Replacements make the joint decisions |
All from OPG's LP12 guide.1 If no box is marked in section 3, the law treats the attorneys as appointed jointly.1
Who can be an attorney or replacement
- Anyone aged 18 or over with mental capacity. Attorneys don't need to be solicitors.1
- Replacements must meet the same rules. An original attorney can also be named as a replacement in the same LPA.1
- Someone on the Disclosure and Barring Service barred list can't act, unless they are a family member and unpaid.1
- For a property and financial affairs LPA, a bankrupt person, or someone with a debt relief order, can't act.1
- A replacement can't stand in temporarily, for example while an attorney is on holiday.1
Changing attorneys later
While the donor has capacity, they can remove an attorney from a registered LPA with a "partial deed of revocation" sent to OPG with the original LPA. To add an attorney, they must end the LPA and make a new one.2 Attorneys and people to notify can't be the same people: you can name up to 5 people to notify, and they can't be attorneys or replacements.1
Printable attorney worksheet
Print this and fill it in by hand. Nothing is typed into the website.
LPA attorneys and replacements
| Role | Full name | Date of birth | Agreed to act? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney 1 | |||
| Attorney 2 | |||
| Attorney 3 | |||
| Replacement 1 | |||
| Replacement 2 | |||
| Person to notify 1 | |||
| Person to notify 2 | |||
| Certificate provider |
How they decide (one box): ☐ jointly and severally ☐ jointly ☐ mixed
More detail: choosing your attorneys and choosing a certificate provider.
- Decide who should be your attorneys, with simple worksheets
- Check if you pay £92, half, or nothing
- Get every signature in the right order first time
- Know what to do after it's registered
Frequently asked questions
What happens if one of my attorneys dies?
It depends on how they were appointed. Jointly and severally: the others carry on and the LPA isn't cancelled. Jointly: all the original attorneys stop and the LPA stops working, unless you appointed replacements, who then replace them all at the same time. A single attorney with no replacement: the LPA stops working.
What if I don't tick how my attorneys should decide?
If you appoint two or more attorneys and mark no option in section 3, the law treats them as appointed jointly, so they must agree on every decision.
Can I add an attorney after the LPA is registered?
No. GOV.UK says to add another attorney you need to end your LPA and make a new one. You can remove an attorney from a registered LPA, while you still have mental capacity, with a partial deed of revocation sent to OPG.
Sources & references
Every fee, form and time limit in this tool comes from the Office of the Public Guardian's GOV.UK pages and forms below, checked on the date shown. Always confirm on GOV.UK before you act.
- LP12: Make and register your lasting power of attorney, a guide (web version, updated 20 April 2026) — GOV.UKLast checked 29 October 2026
- Removing an attorney — GOV.UKLast checked 29 October 2026
Settle publishes general information for England and Wales. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and does not write wills or prepare, check or register LPAs. For advice about your situation, speak to a solicitor or a free advice service.