This guide explains Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales in plain English. It is not legal advice. The official forms and the GOV.UK online service are free. Settle is not connected to the Office of the Public Guardian or GOV.UK.
How to make a Lasting Power of Attorney in England and Wales
Checked against GOV.UK, the LP12 guide (web version updated 20 April 2026) and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 on 18 October 2026.
Quick answer
To make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in England and Wales, you choose your attorneys and a certificate provider, fill in the free official forms (online or on paper), print them, and everyone signs the same paper original in a set order. Then you send the LPA to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) with the £92 fee, or an application for help with it. The LPA can't be used until OPG registers it.
- There are two types: property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. You can make one or both.1
- The forms and the online service are free. "It is free to complete your LPA online." You pay OPG £92 per LPA to register it, unless you qualify for help.63
- Even if you use the online service, you print the forms and sign them on paper. Digital signatures are not accepted.2
- GOV.UK says registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes.3
Most of the work in an LPA happens before anyone touches a form: deciding who you trust, how they should work together, and who will act as the independent check. If you get those decisions settled first, filling in the forms is mostly copying them out.
Who can make an LPA
You must be 18 or over and have mental capacity (the ability to make your own decisions) when you make your LPA. You do not need to live in the UK or be a British citizen. An LPA made this way is legally binding only in England and Wales.1
The person making the LPA is called the donor. The people they appoint are the attorneys.
Before you open the forms: five decisions
- Which type or types? Property and financial affairs, health and welfare, or both. See Financial vs health and welfare LPA.
- Who will be your attorneys? And, if there is more than one, will they decide "jointly", "jointly and severally", or a mix? See Choosing your attorneys.
- Do you want replacement attorneys? They step in if an original attorney can no longer act.
- Who will be your certificate provider? See Who can be a certificate provider.
- Do you want to name people to notify? This is optional, and you can name up to 5.
- 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
The 8 steps
| Step | What happens | Official form or section | More detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose the type | Decide on property and financial affairs, health and welfare, or both | LP1F (financial decisions), LP1H (health and care decisions)5 | Financial vs health and welfare |
| 2. Choose attorneys | Name your attorneys, how they decide, and any replacements | Attorney and replacement sections of LP1F/LP1H | Choosing your attorneys |
| 3. Choose a certificate provider | Someone who has known you personally for at least 2 years, or a suitable professional | Section 10 | Certificate provider |
| 4. People to notify (optional) | Up to 5 people who are told about the application before it is registered7 | Section 6; form LP3 later | Below |
| 5. Fill in the forms | Online service or paper forms, using the LP12 guide | LP12 guide; LPC continuation sheets if needed5 | Below |
| 6. Print and sign | Everyone signs the same paper original, in order | Sections 5 (LP1H), 9, 10, 11 | Signing order |
| 7. Apply to register | Send the LPA to OPG with the fee, or the fee-help form | Section 15; LPA120 for fee help | Cost and fee help |
| 8. Wait for registration | Legal 4-week wait, objections window, then OPG registers | Registration letter | Below |
Step 4: people to notify
Naming people to notify is optional. You can name up to 5: four on the form and a fifth on continuation sheet 1. They can't be your attorneys or replacement attorneys.74
Whoever applies to register sends each person to notify a form LP3 just before sending the LPA to OPG. If you register both types, each person has to be notified twice. The online service fills in the LP3s for you.4
Step 5: online or paper?
| Online service | Paper forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to use | Free6 | Free to download5 |
| Signing | You still print the forms and sign on paper2 | Sign on paper |
| LP3 notice forms | Filled in for you4 | You fill them in |
| Speed | GOV.UK: "It's usually quicker if you make it and pay online."2 | |
| Paying | By card online | OPG can phone you to take a card payment, or pay by cheque4 |
The free LP12 guide explains every section of the forms. Quote from its web version, which was updated on 20 April 2026, rather than older printed copies.4
Step 6: signing
Signing has a strict order: the donor first, then the certificate provider, then the attorneys and replacements, with witnesses where required. Everyone signs the same original, and nobody can sign a copy. It's better to sign on the same day. The law doesn't require that, but each step must follow the last "as soon as reasonably practicable".4212
This is the step where most avoidable problems start, so it has its own guide: LPA signing order: who signs what, and when.
Step 7: applying to register
An LPA must be registered with OPG before it can be used. Either the donor (if they're able to make their own decisions) or the attorneys can apply. If attorneys appointed jointly apply, they must all apply together. If an attorney applies, the donor is told and can object.34
- Fee: £92 per LPA, or £184 for both types.3
- Help with the fee: send form LPA120 and the evidence at the same time as the LPA. OPG says, "Retrospective refunds are not possible."11
- Address: Office of the Public Guardian, PO Box 16185, Birmingham, B2 2WH.3
There is no legal deadline for registering a signed LPA. LP12 says it's best to apply promptly. If the donor later loses capacity, mistakes can't be put right, OPG then can't register the LPA, and someone may need to apply to the Court of Protection instead.4
Step 8: how long registration takes
By law, OPG has to wait 4 weeks after it gives notice of the application before it can register the LPA. People to notify and the attorneys have 3 weeks from being notified to raise concerns.7
On total time, GOV.UK gives two figures:
- "It takes 8 to 10 weeks to register an LPA if there are no mistakes in the application."3
- "It can take up to 16 weeks to register a lasting power of attorney."8
OPG's own average in 2025-26 was 45 working days.10 Allow several months, and don't plan around a fixed date.
When the LPA is registered, it is stamped "validated-OPG". For LPAs registered on or after 17 July 2020, the registration letter includes an activation key for the "Use a lasting power of attorney" service, which attorneys can use to give organisations an access code instead of a paper copy.8
Digital LPAs aren't here yet. The Powers of Attorney Act 2023 will change how LPAs are made and registered, but those parts were not in force on 18 October 2026, and no start date has been announced. Today you still print the LPA and everyone signs the same paper original. Check GOV.UK before you start.92
If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland
- Scotland has a different system of continuing (financial) and welfare powers of attorney, registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland). The registration fee is £99 from 1 April 2026, rising to £102 from 1 April 2027. Start at mygov.scot.
- Northern Ireland does not yet have LPAs. People use an Enduring Power of Attorney, which covers financial matters only. See nidirect.
Not sure which step you're on? Take the free LPA check for next steps that match where you are.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make an LPA for my mum or dad?
No one can make an LPA for someone else. The donor makes their own LPA while they have capacity. Family members often help with the practical side: reading LP12, booking the signing, posting the forms.1
Do both LPAs have to be done at the same time?
No. They are separate documents with separate fees. Many people do both together because the same people are often involved and the signing can be done in one sitting.3
Can attorneys use the LPA before it is registered?
No. An LPA must be registered with OPG before it can be used.8
Can I change my attorneys later?
To add an attorney, you must end the LPA and make a new one. If the LPA is registered and you still have capacity, you can remove an attorney with a "partial deed of revocation". Never alter the LPA document itself. See GOV.UK: change your LPA.
- 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
This guide is general information about the process in England and Wales, not legal advice about your situation. Settle is not connected to OPG or GOV.UK. If your family disagrees, finances are complicated or you have doubts about capacity, consider speaking to a solicitor.
Related guides
Sources & references
The figures and rules in this guide are drawn from the official and charity pages below, checked on 18 October 2026. Each link opens the page itself. Always confirm current figures on GOV.UK before you act, as fees and processing times change.
- Make, register or end a lasting power of attorney — GOV.UK
- Make a lasting power of attorney — GOV.UK
- Register a lasting power of attorney — GOV.UK
- LP12: Make and register your lasting power of attorney (web version) — GOV.UK
- Lasting power of attorney forms — GOV.UK
- Make an LPA online (official service)
- Lasting Power of Attorney, Enduring Power of Attorney and Public Guardian Regulations 2007, regs 6, 12 and 14 — legislation.gov.uk
- Manage a lasting power of attorney — GOV.UK
- Powers of Attorney Act 2023 — legislation.gov.uk
- OPG annual report and accounts 2025 to 2026 — GOV.UK
- Applying for a reduced fee for your power of attorney — GOV.UK
- Lasting Power of Attorney, Enduring Power of Attorney and Public Guardian Regulations 2007, regulation 9 — legislation.gov.uk
Settle publishes general information about Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and does not prepare, check or register LPAs. For advice about your situation, speak to a solicitor or a free advice service.