How to make an LPA yourself
Seven steps: decide which type you need, choose attorneys, choose a certificate provider, complete the form, sign in order, register with the OPG, then tell the banks. Here is what each one involves and where people typically go wrong.
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.
The seven steps
- Decide the type. Money, health, or both. Most people who make one eventually want both — see difference between the two types.
- Choose attorneys. People you trust with the decision in question, aged 18 or over. Financial attorneys must not be bankrupt.
- Choose how they act. Jointly means all must agree on everything; jointly and severally means any one can act alone.
- Find a certificate provider. Someone who has known the donor two years, or a professional. Not a relative, not an attorney.
- Complete the form. Names must match ID exactly. Preferences and instructions are optional and cause most of the trouble.
- Sign in order. Donor, then certificate provider, then attorneys, each witnessed.
- Register. Post to the OPG with £92. Expect a wait of around 8-10 weeks.
Time and cost at each step
| Step | Typical time | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Deciding type and attorneys | A few days of conversations | Free |
| Completing the form | 1-3 hours if done entirely alone | Free |
| Finding a certificate provider | Days to weeks | Free, or £50-£150 for a professional |
| Signing in order | Days, depending on people's availability | Free |
| Registration | 8-10 weeks | £92 per document |
Where DIY most often stalls
- Step 4 — realising too late that the intended certificate provider is a relative and disqualified
- Step 5 — writing an instruction that unintentionally contradicts the appointment type
- Step 6 — an attorney signing before the donor, which invalidates the sequence
These three mistakes account for most rejections
None of them require legal judgement to avoid, just knowing the rule before you start. That is exactly what a checked online service does.
Where we fit
Steps four to six are where DIY applications go wrong. £49 gets those steps asked as plain questions, checked for common errors, and returned as a completed document with a signing guide. See make an LPA online to start.
Comparing DIY with a guided service
| Fully DIY | Guided online, £49-£79 | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to complete the form | 1-3 hours | 20-40 minutes per LPA |
| Error checking | None built in | Checked as you answer |
| Signing guide | General notes on the form | Named signatories, pages and order |
| OPG fee | £92 per document | £92 per document |
A worked example of the full DIY process
Carol decides to make her own LPA entirely from GOV.UK's blank forms. She spends an evening deciding her attorneys should be her two nephews, jointly and severally, with no replacement since she trusts them both equally. She asks a longstanding friend to act as certificate provider, checking first that the friend is not related to her or to either nephew. She completes the form over a weekend, has everyone sign in the correct order the following week, and posts it with £92. It registers successfully in nine weeks.
Common questions
Can I ask my GP to be my certificate provider?
Yes, a GP or other professional who knows the donor can act as a certificate provider — see can my doctor be my certificate provider.
Is there an official checklist from GOV.UK?
GOV.UK provides notes with the LP1F and LP1H forms; they explain the fields but do not check your specific answers for you.
Can I complete the form on a computer and then print it?
Yes, the official LP1F and LP1H forms can be typed or handwritten, as long as the final printed version is signed by hand, in ink, by every required party.
What if I get partway through and realise I need advice?
Stop before signing and speak to a solicitor; nothing is submitted to the OPG until the signed original is posted, so there is no cost sunk beyond your own time.
Read next
Where this fits
This page is part of LPA costs and fees. The pages below take it further.
- What an LPA costs in 2026
Our £49 and £79 prices, the £92 OPG registration fee, and solicitor comparisons.
- Solicitor, GOV.UK or online?
An honest comparison, including when you genuinely should pay a solicitor.
See the full cost before you commit
£49 per LPA, £79 for both, plus the £92 the Office of the Public Guardian charges to register each one.
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.