Can my doctor be my LPA certificate provider?

Yes. A GP or other registered healthcare professional can act as certificate provider, and it is often the wiser choice where there is any question about capacity, even though it usually means paying a fee that a friend would not charge. Most GP practices will do it as private work if asked, though not all will agree.

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

Start your LPA

The Office of the Public Guardian charges a separate £92 to register each LPA.

When paying a professional is worth it

There is a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer's, a stroke or a brain injury
Capacity fluctuates from day to day, or is better at some times than others
You expect a family member to object to the LPA, the choice of attorney, or the timing of it
You have no friend or neighbour who has known you personally for two years
You want the strongest possible protection if the LPA is ever challenged after you have lost capacity

A professional certificate carries more weight if the LPA is ever disputed, because the assessment is made by someone trained to judge capacity, is often supported by a note in your medical records, and is much harder for a family member to simply assert was wrong.

Friend vs professional: when each makes sense

Situation	Better choice
No health concerns, no family tension expected	A friend or neighbour of two years — free and quick
Any dementia or memory diagnosis, even mild	A GP or other healthcare professional
Capacity assessed as borderline before	A GP, ideally the one who assessed it
Expecting a sibling or relative to challenge the LPA later	A solicitor or GP, for the stronger evidential record
No qualifying friend of two years available	A professional, by necessity

Practicalities, in order

Prepare the LPA fully before contacting the practice, so the appointment only needs the conversation and signature
Ask the practice whether they offer this as private work and what they charge — it is not covered by the NHS
Book an appointment, allowing that some practices need more notice than a routine consultation
Take the LPA and any relevant medical history to the appointment
Pay the practice directly — this fee is separate from our £49 and from the OPG's £92 registration fee

Fees are set by the practice, not fixed by law, and commonly sit between £50 and £150, though some GPs charge more for a longer or more complex assessment. Some practices decline as a matter of policy and will refer you to a solicitor or an independent capacity assessor instead.

Get the paperwork ready first

Prepare the LPA before the appointment so the doctor only has to have the conversation and sign. Reviewing your answers with us costs nothing before you pay, so there is no reason to book the GP appointment before the form is right.

Who else counts as a professional

A solicitor, barrister, registered nurse, social worker, registered psychologist or an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) can all certify on the professional-skills route, not only a GP. None of them may be a relative of yours or of your attorneys, and all are independent of the LPA itself — they are certifying capacity, not advising on its contents.

Common mistakes

Assuming the assessment is free because it involves a doctor — it is private work and usually charged
Booking the GP before the LPA form is finished, wasting a paid appointment on a document that still needs changes
Not asking in advance whether the practice will do it at all — some decline outright
Using a GP who is also related to an attorney, which is not permitted even though they are otherwise qualified

Worked example

David was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia eighteen months ago. His daughter is concerned his brother may later question whether David really understood the LPA he is about to sign. Rather than asking a friend, David's family books an appointment with his GP, who has known him for years and has the diagnosis on file. The GP charges £90, reads the LPA, speaks to David alone, and signs the certificate. If David's brother later questions the LPA, there is a contemporaneous medical assessment on record — something a friend's certificate could not provide.

Common questions

Is the doctor's fee included in your £49?

No. Our fee covers preparing the LPA itself. Any certificate provider's fee, and the OPG's £92 registration fee, are separate and paid directly to those parties.

Can the doctor refuse?

Yes. GPs are not obliged to act as certificate providers, and some decline as a matter of practice policy — ask before assuming they will do it.

Is a doctor's certificate always stronger than a friend's?

It generally carries more weight if challenged, because it is backed by professional training and, often, medical records — but for a straightforward case with no capacity concerns, a friend's certificate is entirely valid and used far more often.

Can I use a private GP rather than my NHS practice?

Yes. Any GP, whether NHS or private, who has the relevant registration can act as certificate provider, provided they meet the independence requirements.

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.

Appoint your attorneys