Should I make both LPAs?
For most people, yes — and doing them together is simpler and cheaper than doing them one at a time. The case against is real but narrow: cost, and a donor who genuinely does not want attorneys involved in health decisions.
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 case for both
- £79 rather than £98, and one set of questions rather than two.
- One signing session, one certificate provider, one trip to the post box.
- Capacity is required at the time of making. Waiting risks losing the chance entirely.
- The two documents are needed together far more often than families expect — care fees are a financial decision, the care itself is a health one.
The case against
- £184 to register both rather than £92 — the government fee, not ours, is the real cost driver.
- Some donors are comfortable delegating money but not medical decisions. That is a legitimate choice and should be respected.
- If the donor is hesitant about health decisions, making the financial LPA now is better than making neither.
The cost mathematics, side by side
| Both together | One now, one later | |
|---|---|---|
| Our fee | £79 | £49 now + £49 later = £98 |
| OPG registration | £184 (both at once) | £92 now + £92 later = £184 |
| Total cost | £263 | £282 |
| Extra cost of splitting it | — | £19 |
| Times capacity must be proven | Once | Twice |
The OPG fees are the same either way, since each document is registered separately regardless of timing. The £19 difference in our fee is the only cash cost of splitting the decision — the bigger cost is the second occasion on which the donor's capacity has to be assessed and proven, which is a risk rather than a fixed price.
A decision framework rather than a rule
Weigh three things: affordability of £184 in registration fees now versus possibly £92 twice later; the donor's own comfort discussing health and end-of-life questions; and how likely it is that capacity could decline before a second LPA could be made. Where all three point toward doing it now, most families do both. Where the donor is reluctant specifically about the health document, it is entirely reasonable to make the financial one alone and revisit the health one when they are ready — provided that happens while capacity remains.
A worked example: reluctance resolved gradually
Bill, 68, is happy for his daughter to manage his bank accounts if needed but is uneasy discussing life-sustaining treatment. He makes the LP1F alone for £49. Three months later, after a conversation with his GP about what the LP1H actually involves, he decides to go ahead with it too, still well within capacity. The second LPA costs a further £49 plus £92 to register — more in total than if he had done both at once, but no worse an outcome, because he acted before capacity became a concern.
Common questions
Is £79 for both always cheaper than doing it in two goes?
Yes, on our fees. The only saving from waiting would be if the second LPA is never needed at all — but there is no way to know that in advance, and the risk sits with the family, not with us.
Is it wrong to only want one type?
No. It is a personal decision, and the financial LPA alone is a common and sensible choice for people uneasy about the health document.
Does making both now commit the attorneys to act immediately?
No. Registering an LPA does not force it to be used — the financial one can be used with the donor's consent while they still have capacity, and the health one only once capacity for that decision is gone.
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.