LPA for single people
If you are single, an LPA matters more rather than less: there is no one whose position doctors and banks would even consider consulting. Choosing the right attorney is the whole question, and it does not have to be a relative.
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.
Who can be your attorney
Anyone aged 18 or over with capacity: a sibling, a niece or nephew, a close friend, a godchild, or a professional such as a solicitor or accountant. For a financial LPA they must not be bankrupt or subject to a debt relief order.
- A friend of long standing is often a better attorney than a distant relative
- Two attorneys acting jointly and severally gives cover if one is away or unwell
- A professional attorney will charge, but is an option where there is no obvious candidate
Safeguards worth using
- Name people to notify, so someone independent is told when the LPA is registered
- Appoint two attorneys so there is a second pair of eyes on financial decisions
- Name a replacement attorney, since you may have fewer fallbacks than most
- Record preferences about your care so decisions reflect your own wishes
If there is genuinely no one
A professional attorney can be appointed on the financial LPA. If you appoint no one and lose capacity, a local authority or the court would arrange a deputy, and you would have no say in who that is.
Choosing between a friend, a relative and a professional
| Attorney | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Sibling | You are close and they live nearby | Similar age can mean similar future health risk |
| Niece or nephew | Younger, willing, and you trust their judgement | Ask them properly; do not assume |
| Close friend | Long, steady friendship, sensible with money | Name a replacement in case of their own illness |
| Professional (solicitor or accountant) | No family or friend is realistic | They charge ongoing fees from your funds |
There is no rule that favours blood relatives over friends. What matters is whether the person is organised, trustworthy, and likely to still be able to act when the time comes. A friend you have known for thirty years is often a far better choice than a cousin you rarely see.
What happens with no attorney at all
If you lose capacity without an LPA, nobody — however close — has automatic authority to step in. Someone would have to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed your deputy. That process is slower than registering an LPA, involves a court fee and usually legal costs, and carries ongoing annual supervision fees once granted.
The court may choose for you
If nobody applies to be your deputy, or the court decides no suitable person has come forward, a local authority or panel deputy can be appointed instead — someone you have never met, making decisions about your money or your care.
Worked example
Karen is 52, single, and has no children. Her closest relationship is with her younger sister Fran, who lives two hours away, and her oldest friend Dev, who lives around the corner and already helps her with paperwork. Karen appointed Dev and Fran jointly and severally as attorneys on both her Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare LPAs, so either can act without waiting for the other, with a solicitor named as replacement attorney in case neither Dev nor Fran is able to act.
She also named a former colleague as a person to notify, so someone independent outside the appointment would be told when the LPAs were registered. The cost was £79 for both LPA types plus £184 in OPG registration fees for the two documents, £263 in total.
Common questions
Can a friend really be my attorney?
Yes. There is no requirement for an attorney to be a family member.
Can my attorney also be my certificate provider?
No. The certificate provider must be independent of the attorneys and cannot be a family member of the donor or attorneys.
What if I genuinely cannot think of anyone suitable?
A solicitor or other professional can be appointed as attorney on the financial LPA. They will charge ongoing fees for the role, but it guarantees someone with the legal authority to act.
Is it worse for a single person to have no LPA than for a married person?
In practical terms, yes. A married person's spouse is at least the person doctors and banks will instinctively speak to, even without legal authority. A single person with no LPA may have nobody in that position at all.
Can I name more than one person to notify?
Yes, up to five people can be named to be told when your LPA is registered, which gives an independent check that the right people know it exists.
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.