Choosing Attorneys for an LPA — how to decide
The traits that matter, plus how to structure the appointment.
Attorneys and certificate providers
The decisions people get stuck on: who to trust, how many to appoint, how they should decide together, and who is allowed to sign the certificate confirming you understand it.
Main pages on this topic
- 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.
Every page in this topic (38)
Who Can Be an Attorney Under an LPA? — the rules
Eligibility in full, including the bankruptcy rule and who cannot be appointed.
How Many Attorneys Can I Appoint? — no legal limit
No maximum in law, four on the form, and two as the practical sweet spot.
Can I Appoint My Children as Attorneys? — yes, over 18
Appointing several children without creating deadlock.
Can I Have More Than One Attorney? — yes, and how they act
Multiple attorneys in practice — banks, disputes and paperwork.
Jointly or Jointly and Severally? — LPA decision explained
The highest-stakes wording choice on the form, explained plainly.
What Information Do I Need to Make an LPA? — checklist
Everything to have to hand before you open the form.
Start Your Lasting Power of Attorney Online — £49
The starting point: free check, then choose one LPA or both.
Can My Attorney Live Abroad? — Yes, With Practical Caveats
Yes, no residence rule. The practical problems, and how to design around them.
Can My Attorney Be Younger Than Me? — Yes, and Usually Should Be
Yes — 18 or over is the only age rule, and younger is usually better.
Can My Attorney Be My Son or Daughter? — Yes
Yes, the most common choice. How to appoint several children without causing friction.
Can Brothers and Sisters Be Attorneys Together? — Yes
Yes. How to structure sibling appointments so a disagreement does not stop everything.
What Happens if My LPA Attorney Dies?
Depends entirely on the appointment type. The three outcomes, and how to avoid the bad one.
Should I Appoint a Replacement Attorney? — Nearly Always Yes
Nearly always yes. It costs nothing and prevents the most common LPA failure.
What Is a Replacement Attorney on an LPA?
The named back-up. When they step in, what they can do, and what they cannot.
Who Can Be a Certificate Provider for an LPA?
The two routes, the people who are barred, and how to pick without delay.
Can a Friend Be My LPA Certificate Provider? — Usually Yes
Yes if they have known you two years and are not family. The checks to run first.
Can My Doctor Be My LPA Certificate Provider? — Yes
Yes, and often the right call. Fees, timing, and what to ask the practice for.
Who can be an attorney?
Who is allowed to act, who is disqualified, how many to appoint and how they should decide together.
What is a certificate provider?
The independent person who confirms the donor understands the LPA — and who is not allowed to do it.
Can an attorney be a witness on an LPA?
No. Why not, who can witness instead, and what happens if it has already been done.
Who can witness an LPA?
The witness rules, including remote signing and who must not do it.
How many attorneys should I appoint?
One, two or four? The practical trade-offs, and what banks find easiest.
Jointly or jointly and severally: which should you choose?
The single most consequential tick box on the form, explained.
Replacement attorneys on an LPA
Free insurance against your LPA quietly failing years from now.
Can my husband or wife be my attorney?
Yes — but the second layer of your LPA needs more thought than the first.
Appointing a professional attorney (and what they charge)
When a paid professional makes sense, and the wording it requires.
What are an attorney's duties and responsibilities?
What you are signing up for if you agree to be someone's attorney.
How to act as an attorney: a practical first-90-days guide
The first practical steps once you start acting under a registered LPA.
Attorney record keeping: what to write down and keep
A simple, defensible system for accounts, receipts and decision notes.
Can an attorney make gifts from the donor's money?
What counts as a permitted gift, and where the line is.
Conflicts of interest for attorneys under an LPA
How to spot and handle a conflict before it becomes an allegation.
Selling the donor's house under an LPA
The practical route through a property sale as an attorney.
Renting out the donor's property as an attorney
The practical and legal considerations before letting a donor's home.
LPAs, the DWP and becoming a benefits appointee
How attorneys deal with the DWP, and when to apply to be an appointee.
Investments, ISAs and pensions: what an attorney can do
The rules on investments, discretionary management and pension decisions.
How to stop being an attorney (disclaiming an LPA)
The disclaimer process and its effect on the rest of the LPA.
What happens to an LPA when the donor dies?
The handover from attorney to executor, and the notifications required.
Other topics
- LPA basics
- LPA costs and fees
- Choosing which LPA you need
- Forms, wording and signing
- Registration and using an LPA
- Health and care decisions
- Money, tax and property
- Parents, couples and capacity
- Disputes and safeguards
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.