Creating Your LPA: The Complete Guide

Written by Anthony Dalton · Reviewed by James Tyrrell · Last reviewed 11 April 2026

Creating a Lasting Power of Attorney is one of the most practical and important things you can do to protect yourself and the people you care about. An LPA is a legal document that lets you choose someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you ever become unable to make them yourself — whether through illness, injury, or age-related conditions like dementia. This guide walks you through every step of the process, from deciding which type of LPA you need to understanding the costs, choosing between a solicitor and doing it yourself, and avoiding the most common mistakes people make along the way.

How to Create an LPA

Creating a Lasting Power of Attorney involves several clear steps, and understanding them in advance makes the whole process much smoother. The first thing to decide is which type of LPA you need. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA covers decisions about your money, bank accounts, bills, investments, and property. A Health and Welfare LPA covers decisions about your medical treatment, care, daily routine, and where you live. Most people choose to make both, but you can make one or the other if you prefer.

Once you have decided on the type, you need to choose your attorneys — the people who will make decisions on your behalf. You also need to find a certificate provider, an independent person who confirms that you understand the LPA and that nobody is putting you under pressure to make it. This is a legal safeguard built into the process. You will also need to decide whether to name any people to be notified when the LPA is registered — another layer of protection.

The LPA forms themselves ask for your personal details, information about your chosen attorneys and replacement attorneys, your certificate provider, and any preferences or instructions you want to include. The forms must then be signed in a specific order: you sign first, then the certificate provider, then each attorney. Getting the signing order wrong is one of the most common reasons LPAs are rejected by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).

After signing, the LPA is sent to the OPG for registration along with the £92 fee. Registration typically takes 8 to 12 weeks. Until the LPA is registered, it cannot be used. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA can be used as soon as it is registered, even while you still have capacity. A Health and Welfare LPA can only be used when you lack the capacity to make a specific decision yourself.

For a detailed walkthrough of every step, read our guide on how to make an LPA in the UK. If you want to know exactly what details you will need to provide, see what information is needed to create an LPA, what documents you need, and the questions you will be asked.

DIY, Online Service, or Solicitor?

There are three main ways to create an LPA, and each has its own balance of cost, convenience, and support. Understanding the differences will help you choose the route that best suits your situation and budget.

The DIY route uses the government’s online service to fill in your LPA forms yourself. This is free apart from the £92 registration fee per LPA. It works well for people who are comfortable reading instructions carefully and have straightforward circumstances. The downside is that there is no one to check your work, answer questions, or flag potential issues before you submit. Mistakes can mean your LPA is rejected and you have to start again.

An online LPA service like UKLPA guides you through the process with clear questions, error checking, and professional support. You still make all the decisions yourself, but the service helps you avoid common pitfalls and ensures the forms are completed correctly. This route is significantly cheaper than a solicitor while still giving you confidence that your LPA will be accepted first time.

A solicitor provides full legal advice and handles the entire process for you. This is the most expensive option, typically costing £300 to £600 per LPA on top of the registration fee. A solicitor may be worth considering if you have complex circumstances — for example, a blended family, significant business interests, or concerns about potential disputes.

The legal document you receive at the end is exactly the same regardless of which route you choose. The difference is in the level of support and the price you pay to get there. For more detail, read our guides on whether you can make an LPA yourself, making an LPA without a solicitor, creating an LPA online, and whether you need a solicitor for an LPA.

How Much Does an LPA Cost?

Cost is one of the most common concerns people have when thinking about creating an LPA, and it is worth understanding exactly what you are paying for. Every LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian, and the government charges a registration fee of £92 per LPA. If you make both a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA — which most people should — that is £184 in registration fees.

On top of the registration fee, there may be costs for professional help. Solicitors typically charge £300 to £600 per LPA for their services, meaning a pair of LPAs through a solicitor can easily cost £800 to £1,400 in total. Online LPA services are considerably cheaper, often costing under £100 per LPA for the service fee plus the registration fee. If you use the government’s own service and do everything yourself, the registration fee is the only cost.

If you are on a low income or receive certain means-tested benefits, you may be eligible for a fee reduction or full exemption from the registration fee. People with an annual income below £12,000 can apply for a 50% reduction, and those receiving benefits such as Universal Credit, Income Support, or Pension Credit may qualify for a complete exemption. This means the LPA registration could cost you nothing at all.

It is also worth putting the cost in perspective. If you do not have an LPA and lose mental capacity, someone will need to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order. That process costs £371 just for the application fee, plus ongoing supervision fees, and solicitor costs that can run into thousands of pounds. An LPA is far cheaper and far less stressful than the alternative.

For a full breakdown of costs, read our guides on how much an LPA costs, the government registration fee, why solicitors charge £500 or more, whether it is cheaper to make an LPA yourself, how to create an LPA for less than £100, LPA fee reductions, who pays the cost of an LPA, whether LPA fees are refundable, and why an LPA is cheaper than the Court of Protection.

Customising Your LPA

An LPA is not a one-size-fits-all document. You have the ability to shape how your attorneys use their powers by adding preferences, instructions, and conditions. Understanding the difference between these is important because it affects whether your attorneys are legally bound to follow them or can treat them as guidance.

Preferences are wishes you would like your attorneys to consider but that are not legally binding. For example, you might express a preference to remain living at home for as long as possible, or to be consulted about decisions even after you have lost capacity. Your attorneys should take preferences into account, but they have the flexibility to act differently if circumstances require it.

Instructions are legally binding requirements that your attorneys must follow. For example, you could instruct your financial attorney never to sell your home without the agreement of a specific family member, or require your health attorney to always consult a particular doctor before making treatment decisions. Instructions give you greater control, but they need to be drafted carefully — overly restrictive instructions can make the LPA impractical or even impossible to use.

You can also limit the scope of your attorney’s powers. For instance, you might grant a financial attorney authority over your bank accounts but not your property, or restrict certain decisions to require the agreement of all your attorneys rather than just one. These limitations give you the ability to tailor the LPA to your specific concerns and circumstances.

For practical guidance on how to write effective preferences and instructions, see our guides on how to add preferences and instructions to an LPA, setting conditions on an LPA, and limiting attorney powers.

Creating LPAs for Couples and Families

If you are married, in a civil partnership, or in a long-term relationship, it makes sense to think about LPAs as a couple rather than as individuals. Most couples choose to appoint each other as their primary attorney, often with adult children or other trusted people as replacement attorneys. This means that if one of you loses capacity, the other can step in immediately to manage finances, deal with banks, and make care decisions.

Mirror LPAs are a popular approach for couples. These are matching LPAs where each partner appoints the other as their primary attorney, with the same replacement attorneys named in both documents. Mirror LPAs do not have any special legal status — they are simply two separate LPAs that are structured in the same way. They are practical, straightforward, and ensure both partners are protected.

Creating LPAs as a couple is also more cost-effective. Some services offer discounted rates for pairs of LPAs, and you only need to go through the decision-making process once since many of your choices — attorneys, replacement attorneys, preferences — will be similar or identical. It also opens up important conversations about your wishes and values that you might not otherwise have.

Involving your wider family is equally valuable. Adult children should know that LPAs exist and understand what they contain. Having an open conversation about your wishes reduces the risk of disagreements later and helps everyone understand their role. If you have elderly parents, it is worth having the conversation with them too — many families find that the best time to discuss LPAs is before they are urgently needed.

For more on this topic, read our guides on married couples creating LPAs together, mirror LPAs for couples, whether parents and children should have LPAs for each other, and how to have the LPA conversation with your family.

Creating an LPA in Special Circumstances

The standard LPA process works well for most people, but certain situations require extra care and consideration. If you or a family member are dealing with a health condition, a disability, or a language barrier, it is important to understand how the process may differ and what additional steps might be needed.

Dementia is one of the most common reasons people think about LPAs, but timing is critical. An LPA can only be created while the donor still has mental capacity — they must be able to understand what an LPA is, what powers it gives, and who they are appointing. If someone has been diagnosed with early-stage dementia, they may still have sufficient capacity to make an LPA, but this needs to be assessed carefully. A doctor or other medical professional may be asked to confirm capacity, and it is wise to involve a solicitor or professional service to ensure the LPA is properly completed and protected against future challenges.

People with learning disabilities can also create LPAs, provided they have the mental capacity to understand the decisions involved. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is clear that a person should not be assumed to lack capacity simply because of a disability or diagnosis. Reasonable adjustments should be made to help them understand — for example, using simpler language, visual aids, or allowing extra time for explanations.

If English is not your first language, you can still create an LPA, but the forms must be completed in English or Welsh. An interpreter can help during the process, and the certificate provider should be satisfied that you fully understand the document. It is important that language barriers do not prevent you from accessing this essential legal protection.

A common question is whether you can create an LPA for someone else. The answer is no — only the donor can create their own LPA, and they must have the mental capacity to do so. You cannot make an LPA on behalf of someone who has already lost capacity. In that situation, the only route is to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order, which is significantly more expensive and takes longer. This is one of the strongest reasons to create an LPA while you are well and able.

For detailed guidance on each of these situations, see our guides on LPAs for someone with dementia, whether an LPA can be created for someone else, LPAs when English is not your first language, and whether someone with a learning disability can make an LPA.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Every year, thousands of LPA applications are rejected by the OPG because of preventable errors. Understanding the most common mistakes will help you get your LPA right first time and avoid the frustration and delay of having to resubmit.

The single most frequent error is signing the LPA in the wrong order. The law requires a specific sequence: the donor signs first, then the certificate provider, then each attorney and replacement attorney. If anyone signs out of order, the entire LPA is invalid and must be done again from scratch. This catches many people out, especially when attorneys live far apart and forms are being posted back and forth.

Other common mistakes include choosing an ineligible certificate provider (they cannot be a family member, an attorney named in the LPA, or a member of your household), leaving sections blank that should be completed, writing instructions that are too vague or too restrictive, and failing to name replacement attorneys. Some people also make the mistake of not registering the LPA after completing it — an unregistered LPA has no legal effect and cannot be used.

Timing is another area where people go wrong. Many people put off creating an LPA because they think they are too young, too healthy, or that they will “get around to it later.” The reality is that mental capacity can be lost suddenly through a stroke, accident, or illness at any age. By the time you urgently need an LPA, it may be too late to create one. The registration process itself takes 8 to 12 weeks, so even if you start today, there is a waiting period before the LPA is ready to use.

For a full list of pitfalls and how to avoid them, read our guide on common mistakes when creating an LPA. If you are concerned about timing, our guides on how long it takes to create an LPA and how to create an LPA quickly will help you plan ahead.

LPAs and Other Legal Documents

An LPA does not exist in isolation. It is one part of a broader set of legal documents that together form a comprehensive plan for your future. Understanding how LPAs interact with wills, advance decisions, trusts, and older Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) will help you build a complete picture of your legal protections.

A will and an LPA serve completely different purposes. A will takes effect after you die and determines what happens to your estate. An LPA takes effect during your lifetime when you lose the capacity to make decisions. One cannot replace the other — you need both. If you have a will but no LPA, nobody has the legal authority to manage your finances or make healthcare decisions while you are alive but incapacitated. If you have an LPA but no will, the law (intestacy rules) determines who inherits your assets when you die, which may not reflect your wishes.

An advance decision (sometimes called a living will) lets you refuse specific medical treatments in advance. It works alongside a Health and Welfare LPA but operates differently. An advance decision is a direct instruction that medical professionals must follow, whereas an LPA gives your attorney the flexibility to make decisions based on the circumstances at the time. If you have both, your advance decision generally takes priority over your attorney’s wishes on the specific treatments it covers, unless your LPA gives your attorney authority over life-sustaining treatment and was made after the advance decision.

If you have an older Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) that was created before October 2007, it may still be valid for financial decisions. EPAs were replaced by LPAs under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, but existing EPAs were not cancelled. However, EPAs only cover financial matters and do not provide any health and welfare protection. If you have an EPA, you should consider whether you also need a Health and Welfare LPA to fill the gap.

Trusts can also interact with LPAs, particularly where the donor is a trustee or beneficiary. If you hold assets in a trust, your financial attorney may need to understand how the trust operates and what decisions they can and cannot make on your behalf. Professional advice is often helpful in these situations to ensure that the LPA and trust work together properly.

For detailed guidance on each of these areas, see our guides on wills and LPAs, how LPAs work alongside wills, whether a will can replace an LPA, what happens to existing EPAs, legal documents for later life, LPAs and advance decisions, do not resuscitate orders and LPAs, LPAs and trusts, and life-sustaining treatment and LPAs.

All Creating Your LPA Guides

Explore our complete collection of guides on creating a Lasting Power of Attorney.

The Creation Process

• How to make an LPA in the UK
• Can you make an LPA yourself?
• Make an LPA without a solicitor
• Can you create an LPA online?
• Do I need a solicitor for an LPA?
• Information needed to create an LPA
• Documents needed to create an LPA
• Questions asked when creating an LPA
• How long does it take to create an LPA?
• Create an LPA quickly
• Common mistakes when creating an LPA

LPA Costs & Fees

• How much does an LPA cost?
• Government LPA registration fee
• Why solicitors charge £500 for an LPA
• Is it cheaper to make an LPA yourself?
• Create an LPA for less than £100
• LPA fee reduction
• Who pays the cost of an LPA?
• Are LPA fees refundable?
• LPA is cheaper than the Court of Protection

Customising Your LPA

• How to add preferences and instructions to an LPA
• Can you set conditions on an LPA?
• Can you limit attorney powers?

Couples & Family LPAs

• Married couples creating LPAs together
• LPAs for couples: mirror each other
• Should parents and children have LPAs for each other?
• How to have the LPA conversation with your family

Special Circumstances

• LPA for someone with dementia
• Can an LPA be created for someone else?
• LPAs when English is not your first language
• Can someone with a learning disability make an LPA?

LPAs and Other Documents

• Wills and LPAs
• How LPAs work alongside wills
• Can a will replace an LPA?
• What happens to existing EPAs?
• Legal documents for later life
• LPAs and advance decisions
• Do not resuscitate orders and LPAs
• LPAs and trusts
• Life-sustaining treatment and LPAs

Common Questions About Creating an LPA

This guide was last reviewed and updated on 11 April 2026. Information is based on current legislation and OPG guidance for England and Wales.

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