Making LPAs as a couple
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
Appointing each other is natural, but two people of similar age can be affected by the same event at the same time.
The standard structure
- Each of you makes your own LPAs — an LPA cannot be joint.
- Appoint each other as first attorney.
- Name one or two adult children or younger relatives as replacements, or as co-attorneys jointly and severally.
- Make both types of LPA each, so care and money are both covered.
Why replacements are essential
Worked example: John and Susan appoint only each other. They are in the same car accident. Neither can act, no replacement is named, and their daughter has to apply for deputyship for both of them — several hundred pounds and several months, twice over.
Same age, same risks
Illness, accident and cognitive decline often arrive within a few years of each other in a couple. Always name someone younger behind you both.
Cost for a couple
| Arrangement | Our fee | OPG fees |
|---|---|---|
| Both LPAs, one person | £79 | £184 |
| Both LPAs each, couple | £79 each | £184 each |
| One LPA each | £49 each | £92 each |
Fee remission may reduce the OPG fees — see fee exemption and remission.
Common questions
Can we make one joint LPA?
No. An LPA covers one donor, so each partner makes their own.
What about unmarried partners?
Exactly the same process, and arguably more important — cohabiting partners have even less standing without an LPA.
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