Do you need a solicitor to make an LPA?
No. You can make a Lasting Power of Attorney yourself on GOV.UK, use an online service like ours, or pay a solicitor, and all three give you the same legal document. Here’s what each one costs and includes, and when we’d tell you to choose something other than yourLPA.
Checked by Steve Ryan, founder
October 2026
Side by side
| GOV.UK yourself | yourLPA | Solicitor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Nothing | £95 for one LPA, £165 for both, or £295 for a couple making both. No VAT to add. | £559 per LPA on average, including VAT* |
| Registration fee, paid to the government | £92 per LPA | £92 per LPA | £92 per LPA |
| How you give your answers | Online forms, with help and guidance at each step | Plain-English questions online, one at a time, at your own pace | At a meeting or on a call, and the solicitor fills in the forms |
| Your answers checked by a professional | No. The service lets you review your own answers. | Yes. Steve Ryan reads every answer and contacts you if anything needs changing. | Yes |
| Getting it ready to sign | You print it yourself | Printed and posted to you by Royal Mail tracked delivery, with step-by-step signing instructions and an envelope for the OPG | Prepared for you, and often signed at their office |
| Signed pages checked before you send them | No. The OPG checks them when you apply to register. | Yes, free. Send us photos of the signed pages before you post them. | Usually, if you sign with them or they register it for you |
| If the OPG rejects it | You put it right yourself. Depending on the mistake, the OPG may let you apply again within 3 months for £46. | Our mistake: we fix it free and refund any extra OPG fee. A signing or witnessing slip: one replacement set, free. See our terms. | Depends on the firm, so ask before you instruct them |
| Advice about your situation | No | No. Our form checks for situations that need advice before you pay, and points you to our team at Futura Planning. | Yes |
| Who’s behind it | The Office of the Public Guardian, a government agency | Futura Planning Ltd. We’re not a law firm or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Steve is a Full Member of the Society of Will Writers, and we hold professional indemnity insurance. | A law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority |
Whichever way you choose, the registration fee is the same. Some people pay half (£46) or nothing. Check if you can pay less.
Which one is right for you?
Do it yourself on GOV.UK if…
- your situation is simple, and you’re happy working through long forms
- you’re confident everyone will sign in the right order, with the right witnesses
- you’d rather pay only the registration fee
It’s a good, free service and it makes the same legal document. If it suits you, use it (opens GOV.UK in a new tab).
Our service
Use yourLPA if…
- you know who your attorneys, replacements and certificate provider will be
- you’d like plain-English questions, and a professional to check every answer before you sign
- you want your LPA printed and posted to you, ready to sign
- you don’t need personal advice, and don’t want to pay solicitors’ fees
Get personal advice if…
- there’s any doubt that the person making the LPA understands what they’re signing
- you’re worried someone is putting pressure on them
- the family may disagree about their care or money
- they own a business and want different attorneys for it
- they have property or money outside England and Wales
- they’d also like help with a Will or inheritance tax
Our form asks about most of these before you pay. If one applies, we’ll point you to our team at Futura Planning, or you can see a solicitor.
Why pay us when GOV.UK is free?
The Office of the Public Guardian rejects LPAs with mistakes. Some are in the answers, such as a certificate provider who isn’t allowed to act, or instructions that can’t work legally. Others happen at signing, such as someone signing out of order or an attorney witnessing the wrong signature. Either way, you have to put it right and apply again, and it’s weeks before anyone can use it.
Our fee pays for a professional to catch those mistakes before they cost you time and money: a check of every answer before your LPA is printed, and a check of your signed pages before you post them.
Over 99% registered first time. That’s Steve Ryan’s record across the LPAs he has prepared for clients.
Whichever way you choose
An LPA can only be used once it has been signed in the right order and registered by the Office of the Public Guardian. Registration currently takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes.
- How to sign your LPA: who signs, in what order, and the mistakes to avoid
- What happens if an LPA is rejected: what to do next, and what it costs
- Help with the registration fee: check whether you can pay half, or nothing
Sources
* The Solicitors Regulation Authority, Lasting powers of attorney and deputyships review (July 2023) found that solicitors charged an average of £466 plus VAT (£559) per LPA. Fees vary from firm to firm, and many charge less for a second LPA. Read the SRA review (opens in a new tab).
- GOV.UK: Make a lasting power of attorney (opens in a new tab)
- GOV.UK: Register a lasting power of attorney, including fees (opens in a new tab)
- yourLPA terms of service, including our rejection guarantee
Checked by Steve Ryan, founder of yourLPA and a member of the Society of Will Writers, against the Office of the Public Guardian’s guidance in October 2026. This guide is general information for people in England and Wales, not personal advice.