How to get power of attorney for a parent
You do not get power of attorney — your parent gives it. They complete an LPA naming you as attorney while they still have mental capacity. If capacity has already gone, the only route is a Court of Protection deputyship.
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.
Is an LPA still possible for your relative?
Only the person themselves can make an LPA, and only while they have mental capacity. Start here.
They have capacity and want to make one
You can help with every part of the paperwork. They make the decisions and sign.
You are not sure whether they have capacity
Capacity is decision-specific and a diagnosis alone does not settle it. Read how it is judged before you spend anything.
They have already lost capacity
An LPA can no longer be made — not by us and not by anyone else. The route is a deputyship application to the Court of Protection.
The two routes
| LPA | Deputyship | |
|---|---|---|
| Parent has capacity | Yes — this is the route | Not available |
| Parent has lost capacity | Not possible | The only route |
| Who decides who acts | Your parent | The Court of Protection |
| Typical cost | £141 per document all in | £408 application plus annual supervision |
| Typical time | Several months | Six months to a year |
If your parent has capacity, do this
- Choose the right LPA with them.
- Agree which LPAs they want and who the attorneys are.
- Complete the forms — you can type, they decide.
- Arrange a certificate provider who is not a relative and not an attorney.
- Sign in order, then register with the OPG.
Why people search this the way they do
Searches for "get power of attorney for a parent" usually come from someone who has just hit a wall — a bank that will not talk to them, a hospital asking who is next of kin, a bill that has gone unpaid. It feels as though authority should be something you can apply for. It is not. Authority only ever comes from the parent choosing to give it, in writing, while they can still make that choice.
This is why timing matters more than paperwork. A parent with mild memory problems who can still explain, in their own words, who they trust and why, can generally still make a valid LPA. Once that understanding has gone, the only door left is the Court of Protection.
A worked example
Priya's father was refused a pension change over the phone because the provider would not accept her word that she was "helping him out". She started her LPA online the same evening, confirmed her father still had capacity, and he named her as attorney on an LP1F two weeks later. The pension provider accepted the registered LPA without further argument.
Common questions
Can I get power of attorney without my parent knowing?
No. The donor must understand and sign the document, and an independent certificate provider must confirm that. There is no lawful way to obtain authority over a parent's affairs without their involvement or a court order.
Can two children both be attorneys for one parent?
Yes. A parent can appoint as many attorneys as they choose, deciding whether they must act together (jointly) or can act independently (jointly and severally). See jointly or jointly and severally.
Does being power of attorney mean I own their assets?
No. An attorney manages the donor's money and property for the donor's benefit. Nothing transfers to the attorney, and the donor remains the legal owner throughout.
What if my siblings disagree about who should be attorney?
That is ultimately your parent's decision, not the siblings'. It is worth raising it directly with your parent rather than letting it stall the whole process — see lasting power of attorney for elderly parents for how appointment types can reduce friction.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of Parents, couples and capacity. The pages below take it further.
- 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.
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.
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.