# Lasting power of attorney for a parent: how to set one up (England and Wales)

> How to set up a lasting power of attorney for an elderly parent in England and Wales: the two types, choosing attorneys, the £92 fee, signing and registering.

Canonical: https://getparentfile.com/guides/lasting-power-of-attorney-for-parent  
Updated: 2026-11-09 · Publisher: ParentFile  
Organizational guidance for families. Not medical or legal advice.

## Short answer

A lasting power of attorney (LPA) lets your parent appoint people they trust to make decisions for them if they cannot. In England and Wales there are two types: health and welfare, and property and financial affairs. Your parent must still have mental capacity when they make it. It costs £92 per LPA to register (GOV.UK, November 2026) and takes 8 to 10 weeks.

# Lasting Power of Attorney for a Parent: How to Set One Up (England and Wales)

Your mum is still sharp, but a hospital stay last spring showed you how little you could do for her: the bank would not talk to you, and a doctor asked who she wanted making decisions if she could not. If she can still make this choice for herself, a lasting power of attorney (LPA) is the document that answers that question. This guide explains in plain language what an LPA is, how your parent sets one up, what it costs and how long it takes. It covers England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different arrangements.

> This is general information, not legal advice. The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) can answer questions on 0300 456 0300 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 5pm, Wednesday 10am to 5pm).

The key point to understand early: it is your parent's document. They are the "donor", they choose the attorneys, and they have to be able to make that decision themselves when they sign. You can help, but you cannot arrange an LPA for them.

## What is a lasting power of attorney?

According to GOV.UK, an LPA is a legal document that lets a person (the donor) appoint one or more people (attorneys) to make decisions for them, or to help them make them. There are two types, and your parent can make one or both:

- **Health and welfare:** covers decisions such as daily routine, medical care, moving into a care home and life-sustaining treatment. GOV.UK says it can only be used when your parent cannot make their own decisions.
- **Property and financial affairs:** covers money and property, such as bank accounts, bills, benefits and selling a home. GOV.UK says it can be used once it is registered, with the donor's permission.

The first is the one hospitals and care homes ask about; the second is the one banks ask about. Many families make both at the same time.

## Who can make one, and when is it too late?

GOV.UK says the donor must be 18 or over and have mental capacity (the ability to make their own decisions) at the moment they make the LPA. They do not need to live in the UK or be a British citizen.

That is why timing matters. A parent with early memory problems may still be able to make an LPA, but only while they understand what they are signing. If your parent has already lost that ability and has no LPA, the usual route is for someone to apply to the Court of Protection to become their deputy. GOV.UK says a person who already has an LPA does not usually need a deputy. The deputy route is slower and is decided by the court, so it is worth raising an LPA early and kindly, as a way of keeping your parent in charge of who decides.

## Step 1: Decide which type or types

Talk with your parent about whether they want health and welfare, property and financial affairs, or both. Ask them what they would want and who they would trust. Write down what they say before you look at any forms.

## Step 2: Choose attorneys

GOV.UK says an attorney needs to be 18 or over and must have the mental capacity to make their own decisions. For a property and financial affairs LPA, your parent cannot choose someone who is bankrupt or subject to a Debt Relief Order. Attorneys can be relatives, friends, a spouse or partner, or professionals such as solicitors. They do not need to live in the UK.

Your parent can name one person or several. With more than one, GOV.UK describes two ways of working:

- **Jointly and severally:** each attorney can make decisions on their own or with the others.
- **Jointly:** all the attorneys have to agree, or they cannot make the decision.

Your parent can also mix the two for different decisions. GOV.UK says that when making the LPA they can also name replacement attorneys, who step in if an attorney can no longer act. If you have brothers or sisters, decide early how you will share information, whoever is named. Our guide on [caring for an aging parent with siblings](https://getparentfile.com/guides/sharing-parent-care-with-siblings) has conversation starters.

## Step 3: Fill in the forms, online or on paper

GOV.UK says you can make an LPA online or on paper. The online service offers help at each step and lets you save and finish later. With paper forms you download and print them. Either way, the final forms must be printed and signed. Everyone signs the same original document, so copies and digital signatures are not accepted.

Two other people matter at this stage:

- **A certificate provider:** someone who confirms the donor is making the LPA by choice and understands what they are doing. GOV.UK says they must be 18 or over and cannot be one of the attorneys.
- **Witnesses:** GOV.UK says witnesses must be 18 or over, and that attorneys can witness each other's signatures but cannot witness the donor signing. The donor cannot witness a form either.

When the form asks about "people to notify", these are people your parent chooses to be told when the LPA is about to be registered. The GOV.UK registration page says you send them a notice (form LP3) and that they have 3 weeks to raise any concerns with the OPG. Apply to register once those notices have gone out.

## Step 4: Pay and register with the OPG

An LPA has to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used. GOV.UK says:

- The fee is £92 per LPA, so £184 for both types.
- You can pay by credit or debit card, or by cheque payable to "Office of the Public Guardian".
- Your parent may apply for a reduction if they earn less than £12,000, and may be exempt if they receive certain benefits, such as Income Support. The application form sets out who qualifies.
- Registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes. Making and paying online is usually quicker.
- If there is a mistake, the OPG may let you correct certain types and reapply within 3 months for £46.

A solicitor or will-writer may charge their own fee on top. That is separate from the £92 registration fee and is not set by GOV.UK.

## Step 5: Keep the registered document somewhere findable

Once the LPA is registered, a hospital, bank or care home may ask to see it. Keep the registered original, a note of who the attorneys are, and where it is stored, in one place your family can reach. Our [UK Message in a Bottle, LPAs and NHS number checklist](https://getparentfile.com/guides/uk-message-in-a-bottle-lpa-checklist) shows how to keep these details together with the NHS number and GP contact. A [medical information sheet](https://getparentfile.com/guides/medical-information-sheet-for-parent) can carry a line saying who the health and welfare attorney is and where the document is kept.

## What an LPA does not do

An LPA is not a will, and it does not on its own give you access to your parent's GP records. For that, see [how to get proxy access for a parent](https://getparentfile.com/guides/nhs-proxy-access-for-parent). It also does not claim benefits for you: if you are weighing support, see [Carer's Allowance for an elderly parent](https://getparentfile.com/guides/carers-allowance-for-elderly-parent) and [Attendance Allowance](https://getparentfile.com/guides/attendance-allowance-for-elderly-parent).

## Where an organization tool can help

ParentFile is an organization tool, not a legal or medical service. It does not draft LPAs or check whether one is valid. What it can do is let you record that an LPA exists and where the original is kept, next to the medication list and the one-page emergency sheet, so a sibling or a ward nurse is not hunting for it. You can start with our [free emergency sheet](https://getparentfile.com/free-er-sheet).

## Printable checklist

- [ ] Have the conversation: which type or types does my parent want?
- [ ] Confirm my parent can still make this decision themselves
- [ ] Choose attorneys (and replacement attorneys) and ask each of them
- [ ] Decide jointly or jointly and severally
- [ ] Choose a certificate provider who is not an attorney
- [ ] Choose witnesses who are 18 or over and not the donor
- [ ] Decide who to notify before registration
- [ ] Complete the forms online or on paper; print and sign the same original
- [ ] Check for reductions or exemptions; pay £92 per LPA
- [ ] Send to the OPG and diarise 8 to 10 weeks
- [ ] Store the registered LPA and write down where it is

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a lasting power of attorney?

A legal document that lets your parent (the donor) appoint one or more people (attorneys) to make decisions for them, or help them make them, if they cannot. It applies in England and Wales. There are two types: health and welfare, and property and financial affairs, and your parent can make one or both.

### How much does a lasting power of attorney cost?

GOV.UK says it costs £92 to register each lasting power of attorney, so £184 for both types, unless your parent gets a reduction (for example on an income under £12,000) or an exemption (for example certain benefits such as Income Support). A solicitor's own charges are separate and are not set by GOV.UK.

### How long does a lasting power of attorney take?

GOV.UK says it takes 8 to 10 weeks to make and register one if there are no mistakes in the application. Making and paying online is usually quicker.

### Can my parent make a lasting power of attorney if they have memory problems?

Only if they still have mental capacity, meaning the ability to make this decision for themselves, when they sign. GOV.UK says the donor must be 18 or over and have mental capacity when making the lasting power of attorney. If capacity has already gone, the route is usually an application to the Court of Protection to become a deputy.

### Can I be my parent's attorney and sign as a witness?

No. GOV.UK says attorneys can witness each other signing, but they cannot witness the donor signing and cannot be the certificate provider. Ask a trusted adult who is not an attorney.

## Sources

- [Make, register or end a lasting power of attorney](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney), GOV.UK (Office of the Public Guardian)
- [Lasting power of attorney: Choose your attorney](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/choose), GOV.UK (Office of the Public Guardian)
- [Lasting power of attorney: Make a lasting power of attorney](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/make-lasting-power), GOV.UK (Office of the Public Guardian)
- [Lasting power of attorney: Register your lasting power of attorney](https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/register), GOV.UK (Office of the Public Guardian)
- [Deputies: Become a deputy for someone who lacks capacity](https://www.gov.uk/become-deputy), GOV.UK (Court of Protection)