Can I cancel a registered LPA?
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
Yes, while you still have capacity, by signing a written deed of revocation. Nobody else — not an attorney, not a family member — can cancel it for you.
The basic rule
Registration with the Office of the Public Guardian does not lock an LPA in place forever. As the donor, you can revoke a registered LPA at any time, for any reason, as long as you have the mental capacity to understand what revoking it means. This is one of the safeguards built into the Mental Capacity Act 2005: the document only carries the authority you choose to give it, and you can withdraw that authority in writing.
How to revoke
- Write a deed of revocation naming yourself, the LPA being revoked and the attorneys, signed and witnessed like any other deed.
- Send it to the Office of the Public Guardian with the original registered LPA and any certified copies you can locate.
- Send a copy of the revocation to every attorney named, and tell any bank, building society or care provider that holds a certified copy.
- Keep proof of posting for every copy sent — the date each recipient was notified can matter if a dispute follows.
A worked example
Eleanor registered a financial LPA five years ago naming her nephew, Tom, as sole attorney. Their relationship has since broken down, and Eleanor — who still has full mental capacity, confirmed by her GP in writing — decides she no longer wants Tom to have this authority. She signs a deed of revocation in front of a witness, sends the original to the OPG along with her registered LPA document and its two certified copies, and posts a copy of the revocation to Tom and to her bank. Because she still has capacity, she is also able to make a brand new LPA the same week, naming her daughter instead, so there is only a short gap without any financial LPA in place.
What if I only want to remove one attorney
Partial revocation can break the whole LPA
Where attorneys are appointed to act jointly, removing just one of them usually brings the entire LPA to an end, because the document was built around all of them acting together. It is normally cleaner to revoke the whole LPA and make a new one with the attorneys you actually want. See removing an attorney for the options short of full revocation, such as where attorneys act jointly and severally.
Cost and timing
| Step | Cost | Who is involved |
|---|---|---|
| Signing the deed of revocation | Free (unless you use a solicitor) | Donor and a witness |
| Notifying the OPG | Free | Donor, OPG |
| Making a replacement LPA | £92 OPG registration fee per LPA | Donor, new attorneys, certificate provider |
| Using an online service for the new LPA | From £49 on top of the OPG fee | Donor and chosen provider |
Revoking is free in itself. The cost only arises if you go on to make a replacement LPA, which needs its own £92 OPG fee, plus a preparation fee if you use a paid service. See changing or cancelling an LPA for the fuller process, including what happens if the original document has been lost.
Timing it sensibly
If you plan to replace rather than simply cancel an LPA, it is generally safer to sign and register the new LPA first, and only revoke the old one once the new one is confirmed as registered. This avoids a gap where neither document is in force and nobody has authority to act if something happens to you unexpectedly in between.
Common questions
Can my family cancel it if I have lost capacity?
No — only the Court of Protection can revoke an LPA once the donor no longer has capacity to do it themselves, and only in specific circumstances such as evidence of abuse.
Do I get the OPG fee back?
No. The £92 registration fee is not refunded when an LPA is revoked, whether you cancel it outright or replace it with a new one.
How do I prove I still have capacity to revoke?
There is no formal test required for revocation in the way there is for making an LPA, but a supporting letter from a GP can help if a later dispute arises, particularly if any attorney challenges the revocation.
What happens to certified copies already given to a bank?
They should be recalled or the bank told in writing that the LPA has been revoked, since a bank holding an old certified copy has no way of knowing it has been cancelled unless someone tells it.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of LPA basics. The pages below take it further.
- Make an LPA online
The whole journey end to end: questions, documents, signing and registration.
- Solicitor, GOV.UK or online?
An honest comparison, including when you genuinely should pay a solicitor.
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
Ready to make your LPA?
Choose one LPA or both, then start online for £49 per LPA.
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