Making a Lasting Power of Attorney

Can I make a Lasting Power of Attorney myself?

Yes, you can. The Office of the Public Guardian (who oversee Lasting Powers of Attorney or LPAs) have introduced a facility that lets you create an LPA online. However, sometimes it is sensible to take professional advice; there is more to creating an LPA than filling in the boxes.

A professional adviser should explain the duties and responsibilities of an attorney acting under an LPA, to both the person making it and those people who have agreed to act as attorneys so that everyone involved fully understand what they are signing up for, but also the limits on what they can do, and when.

A professional will also discuss whether your attorneys should be granted additional, specialist powers that are not granted automatically; this can help your attorneys manage your affairs better if and when the time comes.

If you have any particular concerns or wishes for your future, we know how best to incorporate these into the LPAs in a way that will be accepted by the Office of the Public Guardian.

You need an independent person who meets certain criteria to meet with you and sign the LPA to confirm that you understand it, and that you have mental capacity. We can do this for you, and this would be part of our service if we help you to prepare your LPAs.

At the very least, we can ensure that the form is completed correctly – any problem with your LPA and your application could be rejected; if you correct it and send it back in, you will have to pay a second registration fee. Nobody wants to pay for anything twice!

In summary, if you have any questions or worries about the process of making an LPA, why not call a solicitor and see if they can put your mind at rest, or help you with the process.

Please click here to see our charges for LPA’s.