How to make an LPA on GOV.UK
You can make a lasting power of attorney (LPA) yourself, online, on GOV.UK. Filling in the forms is free. The only cost is the Office of the Public Guardian’s fee to register each LPA. This guide sets out the steps and the fees, and what the GOV.UK service does not do for you.
Go to the GOV.UK service Make your LPA with us
What the GOV.UK process does and does not provide
What you get: a valid LPA, registered by the Office of the Public Guardian, that your attorneys can use.
What you do not get: guidance tailored to you on the decisions that matter most. For example:
- your future care, and who looks after you;
- controls over how your attorneys handle your money;
- a say in decisions about moving into a care home.
The service gives general help at each step, but it does not advise you on your own situation or check what you write.
The GOV.UK process, step by step
- Create an account and fill in the forms online. You will need the names, addresses and dates of birth of yourself and your attorneys. You will also need the names and addresses of your certificate provider and anyone you want told about the LPA. You can save your answers and finish later.
- Print the LPA. The LPA cannot be signed online. Everyone must sign the same printed original, not copies, and digital signatures are not accepted.
- Sign it in the right order. First you sign, with a witness. Then your certificate provider, an independent person who confirms you understand the LPA and are not under pressure. Then your attorneys, each with a witness. If the order is wrong, the LPA cannot be registered and you may have to pay the fee again.
- Tell the people you chose to notify. The online service fills in the forms for this. They then have 3 weeks to raise any concerns with the Office of the Public Guardian.
- Send it off to be registered. Post the signed original to the Office of the Public Guardian with the fee. Registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes. Your attorneys cannot use the LPA until it is registered.
What it costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filling in the forms on GOV.UK | Free |
| Registering one LPA | £92 |
| Registering both types | £184 |
| If your income is under £12,000 a year | Half the fee, so £46 per LPA |
| If you receive certain means-tested benefits | Nothing |
| Correcting a mistake and applying again within 3 months | £46 |
A friend who has known you for at least 2 years can be your certificate provider for free. A professional, such as your GP or a solicitor, may charge for it.
What GOV.UK does not give you
The GOV.UK service has a box for preferences and instructions, your chance to tell your attorneys how to handle your care and your money. Its guide gives a few short examples, but you write the wording yourself. There is no set of ready-written clauses to choose from, and nobody checks what you have written before you sign.
Its own guide says most donors do not add any
. It also warns that Complicated or badly written preferences and instructions can make an LPA unworkable.
If you are not sure what to write, it suggests you might want to get legal advice
.
Making your LPA with us instead
Our online LPA follows the same legal process, with more help along the way. You choose from ready-written preferences and instructions on paying your attorneys, gifts, investments, your home, your care, medical treatment and more. A solicitor then checks your answers and your documents before you sign. It costs £120 per LPA including VAT, plus the same registration fee. Read more about the clauses our LPAs offer and why they matter.
Choose the route that suits you. Make your LPA yourself on GOV.UK, or with ready-written clauses and a solicitor checking everything before you sign.
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Fees and timings are those published by GOV.UK on 27 October 2026.
Sources
- Make a lasting power of attorney, GOV.UK. Making the LPA online, printing and signing it.
- Register a lasting power of attorney, GOV.UK. People to notify, how long it takes, the fees and correcting mistakes.
- Fees to register a power of attorney, GOV.UK. Reductions and exemptions.
- A guide to making your lasting power of attorney, GOV.UK online service. Signing order, certificate providers, and every quotation about preferences and instructions.
