LPA for Someone With Dementia — What Is Still Possible
A diagnosis is not the test. What capacity actually means, and why waiting is the real risk.
Parents, couples and capacity
Most people arrive here because of someone else — a parent, a partner, a diagnosis. These pages start from the situation rather than the paperwork.
Main pages on this topic
- 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.
Every page in this topic (32)
Can Someone With Dementia Make an LPA? — The Capacity Test
Yes, if capacity is still there. The four-part test, and who confirms it.
LPA for Early-Stage Dementia — Why Now Matters
The best window there is. What to do first, and how long registration takes.
LPA for Alzheimer's — Timing, Capacity and Cost
Progressive conditions make timing the whole question. What to do, in what order.
LPA for My Mum — what you can and cannot do
Helping your mother make hers: what she must do, and what you can do for her.
LPA for My Dad — how to help him set one up
Practical help for a reluctant parent, plus what he alone can decide.
Lasting Power of Attorney for Elderly Parents — a family guide
Raising it, capacity, sibling politics and the admin — the whole family picture.
How to Get Power of Attorney for a Parent — the honest answer
The most searched question about LPAs, answered honestly in one line.
How to Set Up an LPA for a Parent — step by step
The full sequence, with realistic timings for each stage.
Can I Make an LPA for My Mum or Dad? — the capacity rule
The capacity rule explained, and what it means for adult children.
Power of Attorney for an Elderly Person — options explained
LPA, EPA, general power and deputyship — which is which.
LPA for Husband or Wife — why marriage is not enough
The most common misconception in this area, corrected.
LPA for Married Couples — what a couple should make
The four-document plan, with costs and the replacement-attorney trap.
Do Husband and Wife Need Separate LPAs? — yes, always
There is no joint LPA: one donor per document, always.
Can Spouses Be Each Other's Attorneys? — yes, with a caveat
The usual arrangement, plus the replacement attorney it needs.
LPA for Unmarried Couples — why it matters more
Cohabiting partners have no default standing. The LPA is what creates it.
Do My Parents Need an LPA? — What Happens If They Do Not Have One
Being their child gives you no authority. What that means in practice, and the fix.
LPA for Both Parents — Four Documents, and What It Costs
No joint LPAs exist. Four documents for a couple, and the cost laid out plainly.
Does My Spouse Automatically Have Power of Attorney? — No
No — and this is the most common and most costly misconception about LPAs.
Can My Husband Make Decisions for Me Without an LPA?
No. What he can and cannot do without an LPA, and how to give him authority.
Can My Wife Make Decisions for Me Without an LPA?
No. The limits of a spouse's position, and the document that changes it.
LPA for Civil Partners — Same Rules, Same Gap
Identical to marriage in law, including the gap. What civil partners should do.
LPA for Single People — Who to Appoint
More important when you are on your own. Who to appoint, and what safeguards help.
LPA If You Have No Children — Choosing Attorneys
Attorneys do not have to be children. Realistic options, ranked by practicality.
Setting up an LPA for an elderly parent
How to raise it, help with it, and avoid the accusation of pressure.
LPAs for husband and wife
Four documents, two people, and the mistakes couples make.
Making an LPA after a dementia diagnosis
Diagnosis is not the end of the window, but the window is closing.
LPAs if you live abroad or own overseas assets
Jurisdiction, foreign property and attorneys who live overseas.
LPAs and care home fees
Paying for care, selling the house, and the deprivation of assets trap.
LPAs for business owners
Why a business usually needs its own LPA and professional advice.
LPAs and joint bank accounts
Why a joint account is not the safety net people assume.
Making an LPA if you have no close family
Who to appoint when there is no obvious family candidate.
Other topics
- LPA basics
- LPA costs and fees
- Choosing which LPA you need
- Attorneys and certificate providers
- Forms, wording and signing
- Registration and using an LPA
- Health and care decisions
- Money, tax and property
- Disputes and safeguards
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.