Can a friend be my LPA certificate provider?
Yes, provided they have known you personally for at least two years, are 18 or over, and are not one of your attorneys or a relative of yours or of theirs. Most people making an LPA use a friend or neighbour on this basis rather than paying a professional, and it is the route the OPG expects to see most often.
Make your LPA online for £49
Answer simple questions. We prepare your LPA documents from your answers, ready for the next steps.
- £49 per LPA, or £79 for both types
- No solicitor required for straightforward LPAs
- Plain English questions, one screen at a time
- Save your progress and come back to it
- Checked for common completion errors as you go
- Review everything before you pay
The Office of the Public Guardian charges a separate £92 to register each LPA.
What the two-year rule actually means
The two years are measured from when the certificate provider signs the LPA, not from when they were introduced or from when you first met casually. It has to be a genuine, ongoing personal relationship over that period — regular contact, some level of trust and knowledge of each other's circumstances — rather than simply two years having elapsed since an introduction.
- A next-door neighbour of ten years who you speak to regularly — qualifies easily
- A former work colleague you still see or speak to a few times a year — usually qualifies
- Someone you met at a wedding two years ago and have not spoken to since — does not qualify
- A friend you reconnected with eighteen months ago after years apart — does not yet qualify; wait, or use a professional
The full checklist for a friend
- Known you personally for two years or more, continuously
- Aged 18 or over
- Not an attorney or replacement attorney on this LPA
- Not related to you, or to any of your attorneys, by blood, marriage or civil partnership — including in-laws and step-relations
- Not your employee or business partner, or an attorney's
- Not the owner, director, manager or an employee of a care home you live in, and not related to anyone who is
If every one of those is true, they can sign the certificate. There is no requirement for any qualification, professional standing, or formal training — the personal-knowledge route exists precisely because a long-standing friend or neighbour is often better placed than a stranger to judge whether you understand what you are signing.
Friend vs professional, side by side
| Friend or neighbour | Paid professional | |
|---|---|---|
| Two-year relationship required | Yes | No |
| Typical cost | Nothing | £50-£150 |
| Weight if challenged later | Reasonable, but easier to question | Harder to challenge, especially with a medical record |
| Availability | Usually same-day, at your convenience | Needs an appointment, sometimes a wait |
| Best suited to | Straightforward cases with no capacity concerns | Any diagnosis, fluctuating capacity, or anticipated family objection |
What the friend has to do, in order
- Read the LPA so they understand the powers being granted
- Have a private conversation with you about it, without your attorneys present
- Form their own view that you understand the document and are not being pressured or defrauded
- Sign the certificate provider section of the form themselves
It takes minutes, but it must be genuine
There is no set format for the conversation and no paperwork beyond the certificate itself, but the OPG expects it to have actually happened. Ticking the box without the conversation is exactly the kind of shortcut that causes problems if the LPA is ever challenged.
Common mistakes
- Asking a friend who turns out to be related to one of your attorneys by marriage, which disqualifies them
- Using someone who has known you less than two years, even by a matter of months
- Choosing a friend where you suspect a family member may later dispute your capacity — a professional's view holds up better
- Forgetting the certificate provider must read the LPA itself, not just sign on trust
Worked example
Susan has been friends with her neighbour Elaine for twelve years — they have coffee weekly and know each other's families well. Susan asks Elaine to be her certificate provider. Elaine reads the LPA, talks to Susan alone for ten minutes about what it means, and signs the certificate. It costs nothing and takes half an hour of Elaine's time. Had Susan instead asked her son-in-law's sister, who she has also known for years, that would not have qualified — she is related to an attorney (Susan's son-in-law) by marriage.
Common questions
Does a friend charge for this?
No. A friend or neighbour acting as certificate provider does it for nothing; only professionals on the skills-based route typically charge a fee.
Can my friend's husband be my attorney?
Yes, that is a separate question — but if your friend's husband is your attorney, your friend can no longer be your certificate provider, because a certificate provider cannot be a family member of any attorney.
What if I've only known someone eighteen months?
They cannot use the personal-knowledge route yet. Either wait until you reach two years, or ask a qualifying professional instead.
Does the two-year relationship need to be documented?
No formal proof is required, but the certificate provider is confirming it is true when they sign, so it needs to genuinely be the case.
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.
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 Lasting Powers of Attorney in England and Wales. We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice about your situation. What we do and do not do.