Lasting Power of Attorney

Lasting Power of Attorney: Plan and Prepare Your LPA

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets you choose people you trust to help you make decisions, or to make decisions for you, if you lose mental capacity in the future. Robot Lawyer helps you prepare and organise your LPA: you answer clear questions about your attorneys, how they should act and what you want them to know, and we turn your answers into a structured LPA preparation pack. It sets out your choices section by section, with suggested wording for any instructions and preferences, ready to copy onto the official forms.

UK only: an LPA is legally binding only in England and Wales. To be valid, it must be made on the official Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) forms, either online or on paper, signed in the right order and registered with the OPG. Robot Lawyer does not replace the official forms or register your LPA for you.

CONTENTS

What Is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

An LPA is a legal document that lets you (the "donor") appoint one or more people (your "attorneys") to make decisions on your behalf. You must be 18 or over and have mental capacity when you make it. You don't need to live in the UK or be a British citizen, but the LPA can only be used in England and Wales. For example, a property and financial affairs LPA can only be used for your property and assets in England and Wales.

There are two types, and you can make one or both:

• Property and financial affairs LPA (form LP1F)
  Covers decisions about money and property, such as managing a bank account, paying bills, collecting a pension or benefits, and selling your home. If you allow it, it can be used as soon as it is registered, with your permission.
• Health and welfare LPA (form LP1H)
  Covers decisions about your daily routine, medical care, moving into a care home and, if you choose, life-sustaining treatment. It can only be used when you can't make your own decisions.

Each type is a separate LPA with its own form, its own signatures and its own registration fee.

Why Plan Your LPA Before Filling In the Forms?

The official forms are detailed, and mistakes can delay registration or mean the OPG can't register your LPA at all. Most of the hard work is not the form-filling but the decisions behind it. Planning first helps you:

• Choose the right people
  Think through who should act, who should replace them and who should be told when you apply to register.
• Decide how your attorneys will act
  Jointly, jointly and severally, or a mix, and what that means if an attorney can no longer act.
• Word instructions and preferences carefully
  Instructions that conflict with the law or with how your attorneys are appointed can stop the OPG registering your LPA.
• Gather names, addresses and dates of birth
  Have everything to hand before you start the online service or the paper forms.
• Agree the signing order
  Know who needs to sign, in what order and in front of whom.

Who's Who in an LPA

• The donor
  You, the person making the LPA.
• Attorneys
  The people you appoint. They must be 18 or over and have mental capacity. For a property and financial affairs LPA, you can't choose someone who is bankrupt or subject to a Debt Relief Order. You can choose a relative, friend, partner or a professional such as a solicitor.
• Replacement attorneys
  People who can step in if an original attorney can no longer act.
• Certificate provider
  Someone who signs to confirm you understand the LPA and are not being pressured to make it. They must be 18 or over and either someone who has known you well for at least two years or a professional, such as your doctor or a solicitor. Some people, such as family members and your attorneys, can't do this.
• People to notify
  Up to five people you'd like to be told when you apply to register. They can raise concerns with the OPG.

Key Decisions You'll Make

• How your attorneys make decisions
  "Jointly" means they must all agree on every decision. "Jointly and severally" means they can act together or on their own. You can also choose jointly for some decisions and jointly and severally for others, and say which in your instructions.
• When a financial LPA can be used
  As soon as it is registered, with your permission, or only when you don't have mental capacity.
• Life-sustaining treatment
  For a health and welfare LPA, whether your attorneys can give or refuse consent to life-sustaining treatment for you. If you don't give them this authority, your doctors will decide in your best interests, taking your attorneys' views into account where possible.
• Instructions
  Things your attorneys must do. Most people leave this blank.
• Preferences
  Wishes your attorneys should bear in mind, but don't have to follow.

What's Included in Your LPA Preparation Pack?

• A summary of your choices
  Which LPA or LPAs you're making, and your attorneys, replacement attorneys, certificate provider and people to notify, organised in the order the official forms ask for them.
• Suggested wording
  Clear, concise wording for any instructions and preferences you want to give, with notes where wording could cause registration problems.
• How your attorneys will act
  Your choice explained in plain English, including what happens if an attorney can no longer act.
• A signing checklist
  Who signs, in what order and who must witness each signature.
• Next steps
  How to complete the official forms online or on paper, notify people and apply to register with the OPG.

How to Make and Register Your LPA

1. Complete the official forms
   Use the OPG's online service on GOV.UK or the paper forms LP1F and LP1H, using your preparation pack as a guide.
2. Sign in the right order
   You sign first, then your certificate provider, then your attorneys and replacement attorneys. Signatures must be witnessed as the forms explain.
3. Notify people
   Before registering, send form LP3 to each person to notify. They have 3 weeks to raise concerns with the OPG.
4. Register with the OPG
   Send the signed LPA to the OPG with the fee. Applying to register costs £92 per LPA unless you get a reduction or exemption, and registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes. Your attorneys can't act until it is registered.

How It Works on Robot Lawyer

1. Answer the questions
   Tell us which LPA you want, who your attorneys are, how they should act and anything you'd like them to know.
2. Generate your preparation pack
   We organise your answers into a clear pack that follows the structure of the official forms.
3. Get it checked
   On the Verified plan, a qualified legal professional reviews your pack within 24 hours and makes amendments where needed. See how our documents are verified.
4. Make and register your LPA
   Complete the official OPG forms, sign them in order and apply to register.

Robot Lawyer is a subscription. The Essentials plan is £13.99 a month, and the Verified plan, which includes a review of your finished pack by a legal professional, is £24.99 a month. Both start with a 7-day free trial. See our pricing. The OPG registration fee is separate and is paid to the OPG.

Lasting Power of Attorney FAQs

Is the Robot Lawyer pack a valid LPA?

No. It helps you prepare and organise your LPA, but a valid LPA must be made on the official OPG forms, signed correctly and registered with the OPG. Your pack makes completing those forms quicker and helps you avoid common mistakes.

How much does it cost to register an LPA?

Applying to register costs £92 per LPA, so making both types costs £184. You may be able to get a reduction or exemption, for example if you have a low income or get certain benefits. Check the current fee and eligibility on GOV.UK.

How long does registration take?

The OPG says it takes 8 to 10 weeks to register an LPA if there are no mistakes in the application. It is usually quicker if you make it and pay online.

Can I use an LPA in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No. An LPA is legally binding only in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own power of attorney systems. If you live abroad or own property in another country, you may need a separate power of attorney there, so take advice from a local lawyer.

What is the difference between instructions and preferences?

Instructions are things your attorneys must do, such as "My attorneys must not sell my home unless my doctor confirms I can no longer live independently." Preferences are wishes they should take into account, such as "I would like to stay in my home for as long as possible." Most people leave both blank.

Can I change or cancel my LPA later?

Yes, as long as you still have mental capacity. You can end a registered LPA with a deed of revocation, and you can ask the OPG to remove an attorney. To add an attorney, you need to make a new LPA. Don't make changes to the LPA document itself, as it might become invalid.

Is this legal advice?

No. This page gives general information about LPAs in England and Wales. If your situation is complex, for example a business, property abroad or a family disagreement, take tailored advice from a solicitor.

Prepare Your Lasting Power of Attorney Online

Get your decisions in order before you fill in the official forms. Related documents: Last Will and Testament and Ordinary Power of Attorney.