Appointing an attorney who lives far away
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
Distance rarely blocks financial decisions. It regularly blocks care decisions.
What distance actually affects
| Task | Workable at a distance? |
|---|---|
| Online banking and bill payment | Yes |
| Registering with a bank | Usually — some insist on a branch visit |
| Care home meetings and best-interests discussions | Difficult |
| Clearing or selling a property | Difficult |
| Signing paperwork | Yes, by post |
The usual solution
Split the roles: appoint the distant, financially confident relative on the Property & Financial Affairs LPA and the nearby one on the Health & Welfare LPA. Both LPAs are £79 together with us, so the split costs nothing extra.
If they are overseas
- UK banks may require in-person identity verification.
- Time zones slow urgent decisions.
- Tax residence can complicate managing investments.
- Name a UK-based replacement or co-attorney.
Common questions
Does an attorney need a UK address?
No, but a UK address makes bank registration and correspondence far easier.
Can attorneys in different countries act together?
Yes, particularly if appointed jointly and severally so neither is blocked waiting for the other.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of Attorneys and certificate providers. The pages below take it further.
- Make an LPA online
The whole journey end to end: questions, documents, signing and registration.
- The LPA forms explained
LP1F, LP1H and LP3 — what each section asks and where people go wrong.
Review and sources
Reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner. Last reviewed 13 August 2026. We recheck fees, forms and Office of the Public Guardian guidance whenever they change — see our editorial policy.
Official sources
Making your own LPA?
Name your attorneys, set how they must decide together, and we prepare the forms for £49.
The Office of the Public Guardian charges a separate £92 to register each LPA.
This is general information about how Lasting Powers of Attorney work in England and Wales. It is not legal advice about your situation. What we do and do not do.
Published by Estate Advisory Group