Check Your LPA Is Correct

14th May 2026

For many people, the moment you search Check Your LPA Is Correct is just before posting the forms.

And usually, there’s a bit of anxiety behind have you got it right.

You’ve spent time filling everything in carefully, gathered signatures, checked names and dates and now there’s one lingering thought. What if something’s wrong?

That concern is understandable. The Office of the Public Guardian rejects thousands of LPA applications every year, often because of avoidable mistakes.

The good news is that most issues can be spotted before the forms are sent.

Start with the signing order

This is one of the biggest causes of rejected LPAs.

The order matters legally, not just from an admin point of view.

The person making the LPA must sign first. After that, the certificate provider signs. Then the attorneys sign their sections.

If dates suggest this happened in the wrong order, the application will be rejected, even if everyone intended everything properly.

It’s worth slowing down and checking each date carefully before anything goes in the post to the OPG.

Make sure names are completely consistent

Small inconsistencies can create surprisingly large problems down the line.

A shortened first name in one section and a full legal name in another can raise queries. The same applies to spelling mistakes, missing middle names or inconsistent addresses.

Read through the document from start to finish as if you were seeing it for the first time.

These errors are often easier to spot after taking a short break from the forms that you might already have been staring at for some time.

Check witnesses meet the requirements

Witnessing rules matter more than many people realise.

Witnesses must be over 18, mentally capable and physically present when the signature takes place.

They also need to be independent in the right situations.

People sometimes accidentally use the same witness throughout the forms without realising certain combinations of witnessing may not be appropriate.

A careful review here can prevent unnecessary delays later on.

Review preferences and instructions closely

This section deserves extra attention.

Preferences are optional guidance for attorneys. Instructions are legally binding rules they must follow.

If wording is unclear, contradictory or too restrictive, the OPG will likely raise concerns.

Sometimes people unintentionally include instructions that make the LPA difficult or impossible to use in a practical sense.

Reading these sections aloud can help identify awkward phrasing or unclear meaning. Get legal advice if your situation is particularly complex.

Don’t rush the final check

A common pattern with rejected LPAs is simply fatigue at the end of the process.

By the time people reach the end of the process, they just want it finished. That’s often when avoidable mistakes creep in.

Leaving the forms overnight and reviewing them again the next day can make a real difference.

Fresh eyes catch things tired ones miss.

Common issues people overlook

A few details repeatedly cause problems:

• missing signatures
• undated sections
• correction fluid or crossed-out information
• pages printed incorrectly
• attorneys signing in the wrong place

None of these mistakes are complicated, but they can still invalidate the application.

Confidence matters as much as completion

Most people completing an LPA aren’t legal professionals. They’re family members trying to put sensible plans in place using a service like Power of Attorney Online.

That’s completely normal.

The aim isn’t perfection for the sake of it. It’s making sure the document will work properly if it’s ever needed at some point.

A careful final review gives you the best chance of avoiding delays, extra costs and the frustration of starting again.

And once the forms are registered correctly, there’s real reassurance in knowing that future decisions are backed by something legally secure and properly prepared.