Can I make just one LPA?
Yes. One LPA is £49 and is a complete, valid document on its own — there is no requirement to make both. Most people who make one choose the Property & Financial Affairs LPA first, because money problems usually bite before care decisions do.
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.
Which one to make first
If you only ever make one, the financial LPA is usually the more urgent: without it, nobody can pay the donor's bills, and the alternative is a Court of Protection deputyship costing hundreds of pounds and taking several months. Banks in particular are strict about this — a spouse being unable even to view a joint account statement, let alone move money, is a common and avoidable problem.
The exception is someone with very little money but significant care needs, where the health LPA does far more work — see the worked example on do I need both types of LPA.
What you give up by making only one
| You made | You cannot yet |
|---|---|
| LP1F only | Speak for the donor about care, treatment, or where they live |
| LP1H only | Access accounts, pay bills, or sell property on the donor's behalf |
A worked example: the gap becomes real
Tom makes only the LP1F for his mother, Doreen, reasoning that her care needs are minimal and her finances are the pressing concern. Eighteen months later, Doreen has a fall and the hospital wants to discuss discharge to a care home rather than back to her own flat. Tom can use the LP1F to keep paying her bills and rent throughout, but he has no legal standing to agree or object to the discharge plan — that decision sits with Doreen if she has capacity for it, or otherwise with the hospital and social services acting in her best interests, without Tom's formal input. Had he also made the LP1H, he would have had a recognised voice in that conversation.
How people usually reach the decision to make only one
- Cost: £49 now feels more manageable than £79, especially alongside other pressures.
- Urgency: a specific, immediate money problem (a mortgage renewal, a bank asking questions) needs solving now, while care concerns feel distant.
- Reluctance: some donors are simply not ready to discuss life-sustaining treatment, and would rather make the financial LPA now and think about the health one separately.
None of these reasons are wrong, but each carries the same underlying risk: the missing document cannot be created after capacity is gone. If cost is the only obstacle, it is worth comparing the £49 now against the true cost of doing it in two goes on should I make both LPAs.
You can add the other later — while capacity lasts
Adding the second LPA later is a fresh document and a fresh £92, and it requires the donor to have capacity at that later point, exactly as it did the first time. There is no discount or fast-track for adding a second LPA after the first is already registered. See can I add another LPA later for the full cost comparison against doing both now.
If capacity is lost before the second one is made
It cannot be made at all, by anyone. The family would need to apply to the Court of Protection to become a deputy for the uncovered area — slower, more expensive, and supervised on an ongoing basis. See what happens if capacity is already lost.
Common questions
Is £49 the full cost of making one LPA?
That is our fee for preparing the document. The Office of the Public Guardian separately charges £92 to register it — see LPA cost.
Will making only one look odd to a bank or hospital?
No. Many people validly hold only one type, and institutions are used to seeing this — they will simply confirm which type is registered before acting on it.
Which single LPA do most people choose if they can only afford one?
Most choose the Property & Financial Affairs LPA first, since day-to-day money problems, such as bills and bank access, tend to surface before care and treatment decisions do.
If I make only the LP1H, can my attorney manage my bank account in an emergency?
No. An LP1H gives no authority whatsoever over money or property, however urgent the situation. Only an LP1F, or a Court of Protection deputyship, can give that authority.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of Choosing which LPA you need. The pages below take it further.
- Property & Financial Affairs LPA
The LP1F: money, bills, savings, property and everything a bank will ask for.
- Health & Welfare LPA
The LP1H: care, treatment decisions and life-sustaining treatment.
- What an LPA costs in 2026
Our £49 and £79 prices, the £92 OPG registration fee, and solicitor comparisons.
Most people make both LPAs
Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare together cost £79 instead of £98 separately.
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.