Lasting Power of Attorney Cost 2026: The £92 Fee, DIY or Solicitor

In England and Wales, a lasting power of attorney (LPA) costs £92 to register, as of November 2026. Most people make two, one for health and one for money, so the total is £184. Filling in the forms yourself on GOV.UK is free. A solicitor charges for their time on top of the £92.

An LPA is a legal document. It lets you choose people you trust, called attorneys, to make decisions for you. They can act if illness or an accident leaves you unable to decide for yourself.

The fee went up from £82 to £92 for applications received from 17 November 2025 (Ministry of Justice). Some people pay half, and some pay nothing. This page shows every cost, the help you can get, and when a solicitor is worth it. We checked each figure on GOV.UK and the official Scottish and Northern Ireland sites on 2 November 2026.

How much does a lasting power of attorney cost in 2026?

Here is what you pay the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in England and Wales.

What you pay for	Cost (November 2026)
Register one LPA	£92
Register both types (health and money)	£184
With a fee reduction (income under £12,000)	£46 per LPA
With a fee exemption (certain benefits)	£0
Fix a mistake and apply again within 3 months	£46
Apply again with a reduction	£23
Make the forms on GOV.UK	Free

Sources: GOV.UK and form LPA120. Checked 2 November 2026.

The £92 fee is the same whether you do it yourself or use a solicitor. The difference is what you pay for help.

What are the two types of LPA?

You can make one type or both. Each one costs £92 to register.

• Health and welfare. Your attorney can decide about your daily care, medical treatment, moving into a care home and life-sustaining treatment. It can only be used when you cannot decide for yourself.
• Property and financial affairs. Your attorney can manage your bank account, pay bills, collect your pension and sell your home. With your permission, it can be used as soon as it is registered.

A money LPA can help while you are still well. Say you are in hospital for a month. Your attorney could pay your bills with your permission. That is why many people make this one first.

Are there other costs?

Usually only small ones. You pay for printing and postage. Your witnesses and attorneys do not charge.

You also need a "certificate provider." This person confirms you understand the LPA and are not under pressure. It can be someone who has known you personally for at least 2 years, such as a friend, neighbour or colleague. Or it can be a professional, such as a doctor or solicitor (OPG form LP1H). A friend is free. A professional may charge, so ask first.

Can you make an LPA yourself, without a solicitor?

Yes. GOV.UK says you can make an LPA online or on paper. A family member or friend can help you fill it in (GOV.UK).

Here are the steps:

1. Choose your attorneys. They must be 18 or over. You can choose more than one, and add replacements.
2. Fill in the forms. Use the GOV.UK online service, or download the paper forms. The online service checks your answers as you go.
3. Print and sign. You sign first. Then your certificate provider, then your attorneys. Everyone signs the same original paper. Copies and digital signatures are not allowed.
4. Get witnesses. Witnesses must be 18 or over. Your attorneys cannot witness your signature.
5. Tell the people you chose to notify. Send them form LP3. They have 3 weeks to raise concerns. The online service fills in these forms for you.
6. Register it. Send the original LPA and the fee to the OPG. Registration takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes (GOV.UK).

Your attorneys cannot use the LPA until it is registered. So do not wait until you are ill.

Common mistakes that cause delays: pages signed in the wrong order, a missing signature, or a witness who is also an attorney. If the OPG finds a mistake, it may let you fix it and apply again within 3 months for £46.

Free help is available. The OPG helpline is 0300 456 0300. Age UK says Alzheimer's Society also offers a digital assistance service to help fill in the forms, on 0333 150 3456 (Age UK).

When is a solicitor worth paying for?

You do not have to use a solicitor. But Age UK says it "could prevent problems later on," especially if you are unsure or your affairs are complex. It also says costs "can vary a lot from solicitor to solicitor," so call several firms for quotes (Age UK).

We could not find an official average solicitor fee. So we do not quote one. Ask each firm for a fixed fee in writing, and ask whether the £92 is included.

A solicitor is often worth it if:

• you own a business, or property outside England and Wales;
• your family may disagree, or someone may challenge the LPA later;
• you want detailed instructions, for example about gifts or investments;
• there is any doubt about your mental capacity, for example after a dementia diagnosis.

If none of these apply, many people make their LPA themselves. Some use a paid checking service. These check your forms, but you still pay the £92 to register.

Can you get help with the £92 fee?

Yes. You apply with form LPA120 and send it with your LPA (OPG form LPA120).

Pay half (£46) if your income is under £12,000 a year before tax. You must send proof, such as wage slips, a pension letter or a tax return. Bank statements alone are not accepted.

Pay nothing if you get one of these means-tested benefits:

• Income Support;
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance;
• the Guarantee Credit part of Pension Credit;
• Housing Benefit;
• Council Tax Reduction (not the single person discount);
• Working Tax Credit, with Child Tax Credit or a disability element.

You cannot get the exemption based on Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, State Pension or Personal Independence Payment alone. There is also a rule about personal injury payments over £16,000, so read the form.

If you do not qualify but paying would cause hardship, you can write to the OPG and ask for a reduction. The fee help is based on the income of the person making the LPA, not the attorney.

What does it cost in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

An LPA only works in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own systems (GOV.UK).

Scotland

Scotland has two types: a continuing power of attorney for money and property, and a welfare power of attorney.

• Registration: the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) charges £99 to register a power of attorney, from 1 April 2026 (OPG Scotland). A fee exemption may apply.
• Certificate: a solicitor or medical practitioner must interview you and sign a certificate before you sign (mygov.scot). They may charge for this, so ask first.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland does not have LPAs in use yet. The Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 provides for them. But that part of the law had not started as of late October 2026 (Irish Legal News).

Instead, you can make an enduring power of attorney (EPA). In Northern Ireland, an EPA covers money and property only, not health (nidirect).

• Making it: the court fee is paid only at registration. The Department of Justice says it is advisable to get legal advice, which may cost money.
• Registration: your attorney registers it with the Office of Care and Protection only when you are becoming unable to manage your affairs. The fee is £189 from 1 April 2026, rising to £193 from 1 April 2027 (Fees Order 2026).

What does it cost if you do not have an LPA?

This is the cost most people do not see coming.

Say you lose capacity without an LPA. Then nobody has an automatic right to manage your money or decide about your care. Not even your husband, wife or children.

In England and Wales, your family may have to apply to the Court of Protection to become your deputy. As of November 2026, GOV.UK lists these fees (GOV.UK):

Deputy cost	Fee
Application, per type of deputy	£432
Court hearing, if needed	£266
New deputy assessment	£100
Supervision, every year	£320 (general) or £35 (minimal)

A security bond may also be needed for a money deputy. That is a type of insurance, paid from your money.

There is also the time. The court checks the application. It decides who acts for you, and it may not be the person you would have chosen. Your family must also send a report to the OPG every year.

Compare that with £92 to £184, paid once, while you can still choose.

In Scotland, the route is a guardianship or intervention order through the court (mygov.scot). In Northern Ireland, the court can appoint a controller.

Is the LPA process changing?

Yes, slowly. The Powers of Attorney Act 2023 will move LPAs to a more digital process. But as of 2 November 2026, GOV.UK still says you must print the forms and sign the same original paper.

You can make an LPA now with the current forms. You do not need to wait for the new system.

What should you do next?

1. Talk to the people you might choose. Ask if they are willing. Tell them what matters to you.
2. Write down your wishes first. Think about care, treatment and money before you fill in the forms. Our guide on how to write a living will helps with the health side.
3. Make both types if you can. Health decisions and money decisions often come up together.
4. Register it now. It takes 8 to 10 weeks, and it only works once registered.
5. Tell your family where it is. Keep the original safe, and give copies to your attorneys.

If you are choosing the person who will speak for your health, read how to choose a health care proxy. It is written for the US, but the questions to ask are the same. In the US, the closest documents are explained in medical vs durable power of attorney.

An LPA ends when you die. After that, your executor takes over under your will. See our executor checklist.

Not sure what else you still need to sort? Our free end-of-life readiness check takes a few minutes and shows the gaps.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change, so check GOV.UK, mygov.scot or nidirect before you apply.