How an LPA protects your family
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
The person who loses capacity is rarely the one who suffers the paperwork. That falls to whoever is left holding the bills.
What families face without one
- Frozen bank accounts while bills, mortgage and care fees keep arriving.
- A deputyship application costing several hundred pounds plus annual supervision fees.
- Months of waiting for the Court of Protection.
- Arguments between relatives with no one holding formal authority.
What changes with one
Worked example: Margaret named her two sons as attorneys, jointly and severally, on both LPAs. After her fall, one son manages her bank account and pays her care fees while the other, who lives nearby, handles the care home discussions. Nothing goes to court, and nothing is frozen.
Reducing conflict deliberately
- Name the people who will actually do the work, not simply the eldest.
- Use preferences and instructions to record how you would like decisions approached.
- Tell everyone in advance who you have appointed and why.
- Consider replacement attorneys so one person's illness does not collapse the arrangement.
Common questions
Should I tell my family I have made an LPA?
Yes. Attorneys need to know where the document is and that they have been appointed, and telling the wider family early prevents surprise and suspicion later.
Does an LPA cost less than deputyship?
Considerably. An LPA is £49 with us plus the £92 OPG fee, once. Deputyship carries an application fee, possible hearing costs and annual supervision fees.
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?
Answer five quick questions to check the service suits you, 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