Professional attorneys and their fees
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
You can appoint a solicitor, accountant or trust corporation as attorney for your finances. They will charge for the work, and your LPA must authorise it.
When it makes sense
- There is no family member you would trust with money, or no family at all.
- Relatives are in conflict and a neutral decision-maker prevents a court fight.
- The estate is complex: trusts, portfolios, let property, business interests.
How charging works
Lay attorneys can only reclaim out-of-pocket expenses. A professional attorney needs express authority to charge, so the LPA must include a charging clause. Fees are usually hourly and come out of the donor's funds, so ongoing costs can be significant over years.
This is beyond our service
Charging clauses and trust corporation appointments are drafting decisions. If you want a professional attorney, use a solicitor — our £49 service is built for lay attorneys with straightforward UK affairs.
A middle path
Many people appoint a trusted relative and simply expect them to buy in professional help — an accountant for tax, an agent for a let property — which an attorney is entitled to pay for from the donor's money where it is in the donor's best interests. That keeps control in the family without paying an hourly rate for routine decisions.
Common questions
Can a professional be a health and welfare attorney?
It is possible but unusual; these decisions are personal and courts and professionals alike generally expect family or close friends.
Can I mix a professional and a relative?
Yes, appointed jointly and severally or jointly for specified decisions. The charging clause must still be included.
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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