Can I make an LPA myself?
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
Yes. There is no legal requirement to use a solicitor, and thousands of valid LPAs are made every week by ordinary people. The risk is not legal — it is completion errors.
What doing it yourself involves
- Getting the right official form and every section completed consistently.
- Finding a certificate provider who is not disqualified.
- Getting the signing order and witnesses right.
- Posting the application with the correct fee or evidence for a reduction.
None of this requires legal training. It requires care, and a willingness to follow the instructions on the form exactly rather than approximately.
Where DIY LPAs come unstuck
- A relative used as certificate provider — the single most common invalidating error.
- An attorney witnessing the donor's signature, which is not allowed.
- Instructions the OPG will not accept because they are unclear or unlawful.
- A missing date, page or continuation sheet.
None of these are exotic legal problems. They are form errors — and they cost you the £92 fee and several weeks each time.
A worked example
Anita downloads the LP1F from GOV.UK and fills it in over a weekend. She asks her sister to be certificate provider, not realising a sibling is disqualified because they are related to the donor. The OPG returns the application eight weeks later. Anita has to find a genuinely independent certificate provider — a neighbour she has known for over two years — and have the whole document re-signed in the correct order before resubmitting, adding roughly two months to the process. Using a guided form with an eligibility check on the certificate provider would have caught this before anyone signed anything.
The three routes
| Route | You pay | You get |
|---|---|---|
| GOV.UK yourself | £92 per LPA | Free official tool, no checking of your choices |
| LPAs Online | £49 (or £79 for both) + £92 per LPA | Guided questions, eligibility and consistency checks, signing pack |
| Solicitor | Commonly £300–£1,000+ per LPA + £92 | Advice on your circumstances and regulated protection |
See the full breakdown in LPA costs and solicitor versus online. Start with our eligibility check if you are not sure your chosen attorneys and certificate provider qualify.
What we do and do not check
We check the form, not your circumstances
Our service checks eligibility, consistency and completion against the OPG's known requirements. We are not solicitors and cannot advise on capacity, family disputes or whether an LPA is the right legal structure for you — see what we do and do not do.
Common questions
Is a DIY LPA as legally valid as a solicitor's?
Yes. Once registered by the OPG, an LPA is an LPA. Validity depends on the document being correctly completed and signed, not on who typed it.
When should I not do it myself?
If capacity is already in doubt, there is family conflict, a business needs to keep trading, or your affairs involve trusts or overseas assets, take regulated advice.
What is the single biggest risk of doing it alone?
Choosing a certificate provider who is not eligible, or getting the signing order wrong. Both invalidate the document and mean starting again on fresh forms.
Can I fix a mistake after I have posted the application?
Sometimes the OPG will accept a correction by post for minor errors, but anything affecting a signature or date usually means the pages need to be resigned and resubmitted.
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