Making an LPA with no close family
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
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.
- Consider naming a person to notify as an extra safeguard, since there is no family watching.
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.
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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