How to make a Lasting Power of Attorney
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
The process has four real stages: decide, complete, sign in order, register. Most of the difficulty is in the last two.
1. Decide the shape of it
- Which type or types you need — see the difference between the two.
- Who your attorneys are, and whether they act jointly or jointly and severally.
- Whether you want replacement attorneys if one cannot act.
- Who your certificate provider will be.
- Whether to name any people to notify.
It helps to make these decisions before you open a form, because the official LP1F and LP1H ask for names and roles up front and are awkward to restructure halfway through. Check who is even eligible to act before you commit to naming them — see choose your LPA.
2. Complete the form
You need the exact official form — LP1F for finances, LP1H for health and welfare. Names must match legal names, dates of birth must be right, and any preferences or instructions must be wording the OPG will accept.
This is the part our £49 wizard does for you: plain-English questions, eligibility checks as you go, and a completed official-format document at the end, checked for common completion errors before you print it.
3. Sign in the correct order
- The donor signs, with a witness.
- The certificate provider signs, after the donor.
- Each attorney and replacement signs, after the certificate provider, each with a witness.
Order is not a formality
Signatures dated out of sequence make the LPA invalid. Everyone has to start again on fresh forms. See the signing order.
4. Register it
Send the signed LPA to the Office of the Public Guardian with the £92 fee or a fee-reduction claim, after sending LP3 notices to anyone you named. There is then a statutory four-week wait before registration. Nobody can use the LPA until the stamped document comes back — see registering an LPA with the OPG.
A worked example, start to finish
David, 68, decides to make both types of LPA and names his daughter Claire as his only attorney for both, with his neighbour Tom as certificate provider. He completes both forms in one sitting using our online wizard, which flags that Tom cannot also be a witness to David's own signature. David signs first with a different witness, Tom signs a few days later, and Claire signs last. David then posts both LPAs to the OPG together with a single cheque for £184. Ten weeks later, both come back registered, and David keeps the originals in a folder with a certified copy for Claire to carry.
What can go wrong along the way
| Stage | Common problem | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Deciding | Naming an attorney who is later refused by a bank | Check who can be an attorney before finalising names |
| Completing | Inconsistent names or missing continuation sheets | Use a checked, guided form rather than a blank PDF |
| Signing | Wrong order or a disqualified witness | Follow a written signing script and confirm each date |
| Registering | Fee sent with an exemption claim, or vice versa | Read the registration fee rules first |
Common questions
How long does the whole thing take?
Completing the forms takes under an hour. Getting everyone to sign depends on your family. Registration itself typically takes a couple of months, including the statutory four-week wait.
Can I do it all online?
You can complete and check everything online, but the signatures must be wet ink on paper and the application is posted to the OPG.
Can I make changes after I have started completing the form?
Yes, up until everyone has signed. Once signatures are in place, any change — even a spelling correction — usually means starting the affected pages again.
What happens if the OPG finds a mistake?
They return the application explaining the problem. Minor issues can sometimes be corrected by post; signature or dating errors usually mean resigning fresh forms and, in some cases, paying the fee again.
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