Making an LPA with no close family
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
If you have no children and no partner, an LPA matters more, not less. Without one there may be nobody willing to apply to be your deputy at all.
Your options
- A trusted friend, ideally younger than you, with a second friend as replacement.
- A niece, nephew or cousin — family for these purposes, and eligible as attorney.
- A professional — a solicitor or accountant for finances, with a charging clause. See professional attorneys.
- Different people for each LPA — a professional for money, a nearby friend for care.
If you appoint nobody
The local authority route
With no LPA and no family, a local authority or the court may have to arrange a deputy — sometimes a panel deputy paid from your own funds, who has never met you. Care decisions may be made by clinicians with no one advocating your known wishes.
Making it work in practice
- Ask before naming anyone — an attorney who is surprised is an attorney who disclaims.
- Write down your wishes as preferences, since nobody will know them by instinct.
- Tell your GP and any care provider that the LPA exists, and where the original is kept.
- Name a replacement attorney as well as a first choice — see replacement attorneys — so a single friend's illness or death does not leave you without cover.
Weighing a friend against a professional
| Option | Cost | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| A trusted friend or relative | No ongoing charge | Someone who knows your wishes and is willing to act unpaid |
| A professional attorney (solicitor or accountant) | Hourly or fixed fees, plus a charging clause in the LPA | Complex finances, a business, or nobody suitable to ask |
| A mix — friend for health, professional for money | Professional fees for the financial LPA only | Where money matters are complicated but care wishes are personal |
A professional attorney is entitled to charge for their time under a charging clause included in the LPA when it is drawn up — see professional attorneys and fees for typical rates. A friend or relative can only claim reasonable expenses unless the LPA specifically authorises payment, so most act unpaid.
Worked example: appointing a niece and a solicitor
Eleanor, 71, has never married and has no children. Her closest relative is her niece, Fiona, who lives ninety minutes away, and she also has a longstanding accountant, Mr Osei, who has managed her tax affairs for fifteen years. Eleanor appoints Fiona as her sole attorney for health and welfare, since Fiona knows her views on care and end-of-life treatment, and appoints Mr Osei as her attorney for property and financial affairs with a charging clause, since her finances include a rental property and several investment accounts he already understands. She names a family friend, Robert, as Fiona's replacement attorney in case Fiona is unable to act when the time comes.
How to choose between two or three willing friends
Where more than one friend or relative is willing to act, think about proximity, financial confidence and whether they get on with each other, rather than simply choosing whoever asked first. A friend who lives nearby and is comfortable dealing with banks and forms is often a better choice for the financial LPA than one who lives at a distance, even if the second is a closer friend personally. If several people are equally suitable, appointing them to act jointly and severally for finances gives a natural check on each other, while a single named attorney is usually simpler for day-to-day health and welfare decisions.
What happens with no LPA and no family
If someone loses mental capacity with no LPA in place and no relative willing to step forward, the local authority can apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order, and the court may appoint a panel deputy — typically a solicitor who has never met the person — to manage their affairs. This route is slower to set up than an LPA, is supervised annually by the Office of the Public Guardian, and the deputy's fees are paid from the person's own funds for as long as the deputyship continues. Making an LPA in advance avoids all of this by letting you choose, in writing, who acts and on what terms.
Common questions
Can a friend really be my attorney?
Yes. Attorneys need not be relatives; they must be 18 or over and, for financial LPAs, not bankrupt.
Can I appoint my solicitor for health and welfare?
It is possible but uncommon; these decisions are personal, and a close friend usually serves you better.
What if the friend I choose is a similar age to me?
Name a younger replacement attorney too, since the risk is both of you losing capacity or dying around the same time. See replacement attorneys.
Does a professional attorney cost more than the OPG registration fee?
Yes, the OPG registration fee of £92 per LPA is separate from any professional's ongoing charges, which are usually billed only once they start acting, not at the outset.
Can I name a charity or care organisation as my attorney?
No. An attorney must be a named individual — you cannot appoint an organisation as attorney, though you can name a solicitor or accountant who happens to work at one.
What if I later make new friends and want to change my attorney?
You can revoke the LPA and make a new one at any time while you still have capacity — see changing or cancelling an LPA for how this works in practice.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of Parents, couples and capacity. The pages below take it further.
- Make an LPA online
The whole journey end to end: questions, documents, signing and registration.
- What an LPA costs in 2026
Our £49 and £79 prices, the £92 OPG registration fee, and solicitor comparisons.
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
Helping a parent or partner?
They make the decisions and sign, you can do all the paperwork. Start with the free capacity check.
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