Want to appoint a lasting power of attorney?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll ensure the following:
- Unlimited time to discuss your lasting powers of attorney with an experienced solicitor
- Complete the relevant forms
- Register your lasting power of attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian
Experienced lasting powers of attorney solicitors
Complete the relevant lasting powers of attorney forms.
Register the LPA at the Office of the Public Guardian
Advice on alternative power of attorney options
Commonly asked questions on lasting powers of attorney.
Appointing a lasting power of attorney is a scary process as you’re essentially giving someone the ability to make decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity. Therefore, it’s likely that you’ll have multiple questions regarding how a lasting power of attorney works and how you can get one. Below our lasting powers of attorney solicitors have answered some of the most asked questions on the topic.
1. What is a lasting power of attorney?
In short, a lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a document that allows someone you have appointed to make important decisions on your behalf when you lack the mental capacity, for example, if you have developed dementia.
For a lasting power of attorney to be valid, you must have mental capacity when making the power of attorney.
Lasting powers of attorney can be split into two forms, which are:
1. Health and welfare
Health and welfare LPAs delegate decisions about:
- Medical care and end-of-life care
- Where you live
- What you eat
- How you dress
- How you’re cared for daily
- Who you have contact with
2. Financial affairs
Financial affair LPAs delegate decisions about:
- Bank or building society amount
- Renovations or maintenance on your property
- Payment of bills
- Pensions and or benefits
- Re-mortgaging or selling your home
You can appoint an LPA to make decisions on your behalf regarding both health and welfare and financial affairs.
2. Why appoint a lasting power of attorney?
The main benefit of appointing a lasting power of attorney is it gives you peace of mind that your health, wellbeing and financial affairs are all looked after by someone you trust if you were to lose mental capacity.
A lasting power of attorney allows you to determine:
- The decisions you want someone to make on your behalf, for example, health and/or financial
- The people you want to make these decisions
- How you want these appointed people to make these decisions
For more information about lasting powers of attorneys, please call our solicitors directly on 020 3007 5500.
3. How to get a lasting power of attorney?
To get a lasting power of attorney, you will need to follow the following three stages:
1. Choose your attorney. You can appoint more than one lasting power of attorney.
2. Complete the relevant forms. The relevant forms you need to complete depends on whether you want to appoint a lasting power of attorney for health/ welfare or finance or health/ welfare and finance.
3. Register your lasting power of attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian. To register your power attorney there’s a cost of £82 per lasting power of attorney appointed.
When appointing a lasting power of attorney, you must complete each of the above stages correctly.
4. How much is a lasting power of attorney?
The cost for a lasting power of attorney depends on whether you want to appoint one lasting power of attorney (health and welfare or finance) or two lasting powers of attorneys (health and welfare and finance). Additionally, it may be that you want a mirror lasting power of attorney.
A mirror lasting power of attorney is when you’re married or in a civil partnership and you want to appoint your partner as your lasting power of attorney.
Britton and Time Solicitors’ pricing for lasting powers of attorney is as follows:
Service | Disbursements | Solicitor Fee |
---|---|---|
One LPA | £82 | £350 plus VAT |
Two LPAs | £164 | £575 plus VAT |
Four LPAs | £328 | £920 plus VAT |
One Mirror LPA | £164 | £575 plus VAT |
Two Mirror LPAs | £328 | £920 plus VAT |
5. Can someone get a lasting power of attorney after losing mental capacity?
Lasting powers of attorney is a protective measure that can only be put in place when you still have mental capacity. Therefore, if a loved one has lost mental capacity, and they haven’t appointed a lasting power of attorney, you can apply to become a ‘deputy’. A deputy is a person appointed by the Court of Protection to be legally responsible for someone who lacks the capacity to make decisions for themselves where there is no lasting power of attorney.
Our solicitors are also able to make applications to become deputy. For more information on a deputyship order, please contact our solicitors on 020 3007 5500.
Want to appoint a lasting power of attorney?
Tell us about your case and we’ll get back to you the same day.
Meet our expert wills and probate team.
Elisabeth Squires
Head of Private Client
Darian Wielink
Paralegal
Why Britton and Time Solicitors?
The law surrounding lasting powers of attorney is our speciality. When it comes to you appointing your lasting powers of attorney, we’ll always guarantee:
Award-Winning Service.
You are our priority, and the law is our speciality. Our award-winning lasting powers of attorney solicitors in London and Brighton ensure you know exactly where you stand from a legal perspective so you can make a well-informed decision.
Full Billing Transparency.
No fee surprises. Ever. Our lasting powers of attorney solicitors will inform you from the outset on how much your case will cost, and we will do everything in our power to keep costs down and within your original fee estimate.
Regular Communication.
With fortnightly updates on your case, you’ll never be left in the dark. Our lasting powers of attorney solicitors in London and Brighton ensure you know exactly how your case is progressing and are with you every step of the way.
Our reviews.
It’s not about how good we think our services are; it’s about what you think.
There are three things that make Britton & Time, and in particular Paul, stand apart from other law firms: knowledge, communication and a will to win.
Rated excellent by over 95% of our clients.
%
Google Reviews
%
Yell
%
Review Solicitors
%
Solicitor.info
Other areas of wills and probate.
Contesting a Will
Court of Protection
Deputyship
Powers of Attorney
Probate
Trusts
Trust Registration
Wills
Our wills and probate insights.
Powers of Attorney: What Type is Right for You?
There are two main types of powers of attorney. Whilst general powers of attorney are temporary, lasting powers of attorney last indefinitely.
7 Steps To Prevent Someone From Contesting a Will
Preventing someone from contesting a will is important for ensuring your final wishes are carried out. Here are 7 steps to help achieve this.
Types of Wills – All You Need To Know
When planning for the future, it’s important to know the types of wills your estate may fall into. Read more here.
What are Bloodline Wills?
Bloodline wills have become increasingly popular in recent years, as families seek to protect their wealth and legacy for future generations
Dealing With Digital Assets: Categorising and Distributing
In this article What are digital assets? What is property? The Law Commission's proposal Managing a digital estate Keeping a digital asset inventory What are digital assets? What...
Powers of Attorney: What Type is Right for You?
There are two main types of powers of attorney. Whilst general powers of attorney are temporary, lasting powers of attorney last indefinitely.
7 Steps To Prevent Someone From Contesting a Will
Preventing someone from contesting a will is important for ensuring your final wishes are carried out. Here are 7 steps to help achieve this.
Want to appoint a lasting power of attorney?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll be able to help you the same day.