Professional attorneys and their fees
Guidance from Estate Advisory Group
Written and legally reviewed by Ramani Gill TEP, Solicitor and private client practitioner·Last reviewed 13 August 2026
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.
A worked example
Roger has no children and does not trust his estranged brother with money. He instructs his solicitor's firm to act as his professional attorney for finances, with a charging clause allowing them to bill at their standard hourly rate for time spent managing his affairs. For health and welfare, he instead appoints his long-standing friend Diane, who knows his views on care and treatment — recognising that a solicitor is well suited to managing investments but not to making personal decisions about his daily life.
Typical costs to expect
| Type of cost | Roughly what to expect |
|---|---|
| Hourly charging rate | Similar to the firm's normal probate or trust work rates |
| Annual account review | A fixed or hourly fee, agreed in advance where possible |
| One-off transactions (e.g. selling a house) | Charged separately, often at a higher rate |
Ask for a written charging basis
A professional attorney should be able to explain, before appointment, roughly how they charge and how often they will report to the donor's family or the OPG if asked.
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.
Can I remove a professional attorney later if I am unhappy?
Only while you have capacity to make a new LPA, by revoking the old one. Once you have lost capacity, removing an attorney needs an application to the Court of Protection.
Is a trust corporation the same as a solicitor?
No. A trust corporation is a company authorised to act as attorney in its own right rather than through a named individual, which can add continuity if the firm's staff change.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of Attorneys and certificate providers. The pages below take it further.
- Make an LPA online
The whole journey end to end: questions, documents, signing and registration.
- The LPA forms explained
LP1F, LP1H and LP3 — what each section asks and where people go wrong.
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
Making your own LPA?
Name your attorneys, set how they must decide together, and we prepare the forms for £49.
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