Which LPA do I need?
Start from the decision you are worried about. If it involves money or property, that is the LP1F. If it involves care, treatment or where someone lives, that is the LP1H. If both worry you, make both — most people do, and doing so together costs £79 rather than £98.
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.
Match your worry to the form
| What you are worried about | You need |
|---|---|
| Bills going unpaid | LP1F |
| The bank refusing to speak to you | LP1F |
| Selling or renting out the house | LP1F |
| Pension and benefits admin | LP1F |
| A move into residential care | LP1H |
| Consenting to or refusing treatment | LP1H |
| Care home choosing the routine | LP1H |
| Life-sustaining treatment decisions | LP1H |
| Care fees and the care itself | Both |
By situation: homeowner, in care, living alone, business owner, serious diagnosis
| Situation | LP1F needed? | LP1H needed? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeowner with a mortgage or savings | Yes | Usually | Selling, remortgaging or releasing equity to pay for care is a property decision that only the LP1F can authorise; the decision to move into care sits with the LP1H. |
| Already in residential care | Yes | Yes | The home needs someone to agree the care package and routine (LP1H) while fees are paid and the former house is managed or sold (LP1F). |
| Living alone with no nearby family | Yes | Yes | With nobody informally checking on bills or wellbeing day to day, both gaps are riskier to leave open, since there is no one else to notice a problem early. |
| Running a business, sole trader or company director | Yes | Optional | A financial attorney can be given specific authority over business banking and decisions if the LPA is drafted to allow it; health decisions are unrelated to the business itself. |
| Recent serious diagnosis (e.g. dementia, motor neurone disease, a stroke) | Yes, urgently | Yes, urgently | A progressive or sudden condition can affect capacity for both financial and care decisions, sometimes at the same time, so both documents typically need signing as soon as possible. |
None of these categories are exclusive — a homeowner can also have a serious diagnosis, and someone living alone may also run a business. Read the row that matches the biggest single worry first, then check whether the others apply too.
Two quick worked examples
Raj is worried his mother's direct debits will bounce if she is ever hospitalised for a stretch — that is entirely a money worry, so the LP1F answers it. Sandra is worried her father might be moved to a care home he wouldn't have chosen while she has no say — that is entirely a care worry, so the LP1H answers it. Most families, on reflection, have a version of both worries, which is why the property and financial affairs LPA and health and welfare LPA are usually made as a pair.
One document cannot cover the other's ground
It is a common misunderstanding that a single, broader LPA exists, or that a will or a general power of attorney covers this. It does not: a general power of attorney is not valid once capacity is lost, and a will only takes effect after death. An LPA is the only document that lets someone else act on decisions of this kind while the donor is alive but unable to make them. See types of LPA — the difference for how the two forms fit within the wider law.
Still unsure?
The free eligibility check asks five questions and tells you which documents suit your situation before you pay anything. You can also compare the two types directly on health vs financial LPA, or read about how it works if you are ready to start.
Common questions
What if I genuinely don't know yet?
Use the eligibility check, or make the financial LPA first if cost is the constraint — it is the one families notice missing soonest.
Is there a single form that covers both?
No. LP1F and LP1H are separate legal documents, each registered separately with the Office of the Public Guardian for £92.
I run a small business — does the financial LPA cover that automatically?
It can, but only if the LPA is drafted to give attorneys authority over business as well as personal finances. If in doubt, mention the business when preparing the document so the wording covers it.
I have just been diagnosed with something progressive — should I make both straight away?
Yes, that is exactly the situation both documents are designed for. Capacity can decline gradually or suddenly, and once it has gone for a decision, neither LPA can be made for it.
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.