Changing or cancelling an LPA
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
A registered LPA cannot be edited. Changing anything substantive means revoking it and making a new one, which requires capacity.
What cannot be changed
- Who your attorneys are, or how they act together.
- Your preferences and instructions.
- The 'when it can be used' choice on a financial LPA.
Addresses and names can be updated with the OPG, but the substance of the appointment cannot.
How to revoke
- While you have capacity, sign a deed of revocation.
- Send it to the OPG with the original registered LPA.
- Tell your attorneys, in writing, and tell any bank or provider that recorded the LPA.
- Make and register a new LPA if you still want one in place.
Do not leave a gap
Revoking without replacing leaves you with no LPA at all. Where possible, have the new one signed and ready so the gap is as short as possible.
If capacity has been lost
The donor can no longer revoke. Concerns about an attorney should go to the Office of the Public Guardian, which investigates and can apply to the Court of Protection to remove them. An attorney who no longer wants to act can resign by disclaiming, which is where replacement attorneys earn their place.
Worked example: revoking and replacing after a falling out
Bernard appointed his brother as his sole attorney ten years ago, but after a family disagreement he no longer trusts him and, crucially, still has full capacity. Bernard signs a deed of revocation, sends it to the OPG with his original LPA, and writes to his bank and his brother confirming the LPA is revoked. He then makes a new LP1F appointing his daughter instead, and pays the £92 registration fee again. Because Bernard arranged the new signing before sending off the revocation, there is only a short gap of about two weeks with no LPA in place, rather than the two months a fresh registration alone would take.
Table: routes to change an appointment
| Situation | Who can act | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Donor has capacity and wants a change | Donor | Revoke by deed and make a new LPA |
| Attorney wants to stop acting | Attorney | Disclaim in writing; a replacement attorney, if named, steps in |
| Donor lacks capacity and an attorney is unsuitable | OPG or Court of Protection | Investigation and possible removal by the court |
| Attorney dies or loses capacity | Remaining attorneys or the OPG | Depends whether others were appointed jointly and severally, and whether a replacement was named |
Common questions
Do I have to pay again to register a replacement LPA?
Yes, the £92 registration fee applies to the new document, plus our fee for preparing it.
What if I divorce my attorney spouse?
For a financial LPA the appointment normally ends on divorce unless the LPA says otherwise, which can end the whole appointment if they were appointed jointly with no replacement. Review it.
Can I partially revoke an LPA, for example remove one attorney only?
Not by editing the registered document. You must revoke the whole LPA and make a new one with the appointment you actually want, unless a named replacement is already in place to step in without a full revocation.
Does cancelling an LPA cost anything beyond the new registration fee?
The revocation itself is free to prepare and send, though a solicitor may charge for drafting the deed. The main cost is the £92 OPG fee for registering the replacement LPA.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of Registration and using an LPA. The pages below take it further.
- How our service works
The four steps from choosing your LPA to a registered LPA.
- Make an LPA online
The whole journey end to end: questions, documents, signing and registration.
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