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LPA rejected: what to do next
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
If OPG can't register your LPA, read its letter for the reason and your case number. Depending on the mistake, GOV.UK says OPG may let you correct it and apply again within 3 months for £46.1 Mistakes can only be fixed while the donor still has mental capacity.2 Pick what your letter says below for the next steps.
What does OPG's letter say?
- Do exactly what OPG's letter asks, by the date it gives.
- Corrections are made by crossing out, writing the correct detail beside it, and the person who made the mistake initialling it. Never use correction fluid or stickers.
- If the error is in section 10, it must be redone by the same certificate provider who signed it first.
- Quote your case number on everything you send.
- Make a new LPA (the donor must still have mental capacity) and have it signed again in the right order.
- Apply again within 3 months: mark the repeat application box in section 14 and give the case number from the letter.
- The repeat fee is £46, or £23 with a remission, and nothing with an exemption.
- Before you post it, run through the ready-to-send checker.
- People to notify and attorneys have 3 weeks from their notice to object, and only on set grounds: not because they dislike the LPA.
- A factual objection (for example an attorney has died, divorced the donor, lost capacity, stepped down or become bankrupt) goes to OPG on form LPA007.
- A prescribed objection (the LPA isn't valid, the donor lacked capacity, fraud, pressure, or an attorney acting against the donor's interests) needs form LPA008 to OPG and form COP7 to the Court of Protection.
- An objection to one attorney may not stop registration if there are other attorneys or a replacement.
- OPG or the Court of Protection will write to say whether registration will stop or there will be a hearing.
- Ask for a review in writing within 28 days of the decision letter, with your reasons and any documents that support them.
- OPG decides within 21 days. You can only ask for one review of the same application.
- Check the evidence covered the right financial year and wasn't only bank statements: these are the most common reasons for refusal.
- If paying would cause hardship, you can write to OPG asking for a reduction.
- Once the donor has lost mental capacity, mistakes in the LPA can't be corrected and a new LPA can't be made.
- Someone would need to apply to the Court of Protection, either to be appointed as a deputy or for a declaration that the LPA can be treated as valid.
- OPG says this can be a long process and cost much more than an LPA. Talk to OPG on 0300 456 0300 or a solicitor first.
Why LPAs are returned
OPG checks that each LPA is legally correct and has no errors before it registers it.2 The rules most often broken, from its LP12 guide:
- Signing out of order: donor first, then the certificate provider, then the attorneys, then section 15.2
- A witness who isn't allowed: attorneys can't witness the donor, and the donor can't witness the attorneys.2
- A certificate provider who is family, a partner or otherwise excluded.2
- Correction fluid, stickers, or corrections not initialled.2
- Instructions in section 7 that contradict the box marked in section 3, or that make gifts compulsory.2
- Fee help without the right evidence.3
Objection forms at a glance
| Who objects | Form | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| The donor | LPA006 to OPG4 | No fee listed |
| Attorney or person to notify: factual grounds | LPA007 to OPG, within 3 weeks45 | Free4 |
| Attorney or person to notify: prescribed grounds | LPA008 to OPG and COP7 to the Court of Protection45 | Free4 |
| Anyone else | COP1 to the Court of Protection4 | £432 court fee, with help available4 |
Contact OPG on 0300 456 0300. For more detail see common LPA mistakes, rejections and delays, or check your next LPA with the ready-to-send checker.
- 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
- Decide who should be your attorneys, with simple worksheets
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to reapply after an LPA is rejected?
GOV.UK says that, depending on the mistake, OPG may let you correct it and apply again within 3 months for £46. With a remission a repeat application costs £23.
Can a rejected LPA be fixed if the donor has lost capacity?
No. OPG's LP12 guide says that if the donor has lost mental capacity it won't be possible to correct mistakes. Someone would need to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship, or for a declaration that the LPA can be treated as valid.
Can a family member stop an LPA being registered?
Only on set grounds. A person to notify or an attorney has 3 weeks to make a factual objection (to OPG on form LPA007) or an objection on prescribed grounds such as fraud or pressure (forms LPA008 and COP7). They can't object just because they don't like the LPA.
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.
- Register a lasting power of attorney — GOV.UKLast checked 29 October 2026
- LP12: Make and register your lasting power of attorney, a guide (web version, updated 20 April 2026) — GOV.UKLast checked 29 October 2026
- LPA120: Get help with paying power of attorney fees (04.26) — GOV.UKLast checked 29 October 2026
- Object to the registration of a power of attorney — GOV.UKLast checked 29 October 2026
- LP3: Form to notify people — 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.