Doing an LPA Online: Complete Guide

By Matt Cresswell, Founder of Power of Attorney Online and author of
Everything you ever wanted to know about LPAs (but were afraid to ask)

28th February 2025

Updated: Monday 31st August 2026

When people search for Doing an LPA Online: Complete Guide, they are usually looking for something much more practical than a definition of a Lasting Power of Attorney. They want to know whether an LPA can genuinely be done online, whether an online LPA is legally valid, how much it costs, whether they need a solicitor and what happens after they click “start”. The good news is that you can make an LPA online in England and Wales. The government provides its own online service, and specialist online LPA services can also guide you through the process. But there is an important distinction between completing an LPA online and having an LPA that exists entirely online. You still need to print and sign the documents correctly before they can be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. Getting that process right matters because an LPA is a legal document, and mistakes can cause delays or rejection.

What does doing an LPA online actually mean?

There is sometimes a misconception that an online LPA is a completely digital legal document. It isn’t.

The online part is the creation and preparation of the application. The finished LPA still has to go through the formal signing and registration process. GOV.UK confirms that you can create an LPA online, save it and return to it later. Once completed, you need to print the forms and arrange the required signatures.

That distinction is worth understanding before you start. You’re not signing away your legal rights by clicking a button. You’re using an online system to make the administrative part of creating a legal document easier.

The basic process is: Choose the type of LPA → choose your attorneys → complete the application → check the details → sign in the correct order → register with the OPG → wait for registration → use the registered LPA when needed.

The legal document itself is still the LPA. The internet is simply the way you prepare it.

Can you make an LPA without a solicitor?

Yes. There is no requirement to use a solicitor to make a Lasting Power of Attorney.

GOV.UK provides both an online service and paper forms. The government specifically states that you can make an LPA yourself and that someone else, such as a family member, friend or solicitor, can help you complete the online service or paper forms. That makes the DIY route entirely legitimate.

For some people, it is also the right option. If your circumstances are straightforward, you are comfortable with forms and you understand the choices you are making, there is nothing inherently wrong with using the free government service.

The important thing isn’t who prepares the application. It’s whether the finished LPA accurately reflects what you intended and has been completed correctly.

A solicitor may be particularly useful where there are complicated family circumstances, unusual assets, business interests, complex instructions or other legal issues that require personalised legal advice. For a straightforward LPA, however, many people simply want something between doing everything themselves and paying solicitor rates for the entire process.

That is where specialist online LPA services sit.

GOV.UK, an online provider or a solicitor?

There are three broad routes. The government route is the cheapest. A solicitor provides the most personalised legal advice. A specialist online service sits between the two, combining online completion with additional guidance and checking.

Route	Preparation cost	Main benefit	Best suited to
GOV.UK	£0	Official free service	People happy to complete and check everything themselves
Specialist online provider	Varies	Guided completion and additional checking	People who want reassurance without full solicitor costs
Solicitor	Varies	Bespoke legal advice	Complex circumstances or people who want professional legal advice

The OPG registration fee is separate from all three routes. At the current £92 fee, making one LPA means a £92 registration cost. Making both types means £184 in OPG registration fees.

Power of Attorney Online currently charges £125 for a single LPA or £250 for a pair, plus the applicable OPG registration fees.

So a single LPA through Power of Attorney Online currently costs £217 including the full OPG registration fee. A pair costs £434 including two £92 OPG fees.

The important thing is to compare what you are actually paying for rather than simply comparing headline prices. The free GOV.UK service is genuinely free to use. The OPG fee is still payable. A paid online service is charging for the additional support around the process.

What does an online LPA service actually add?

This is probably the most important question for someone comparing GOV.UK with a specialist provider. You’re not paying to make the LPA legally valid. You’re paying for help with the process.

At Power of Attorney Online, that includes guided completion, an Expert LPA Review and human support if you need it. The service is designed around the practical mistakes that can cause problems when an application reaches the OPG.

That can be particularly useful because LPA forms contain choices that are easy to misunderstand if you have never completed one before. For example, you need to decide who your attorneys should be.

If you appoint more than one, you need to think about whether they should act jointly or jointly and severally. You may need to consider replacement attorneys. You may want to include preferences or instructions. You need a certificate provider. You need to understand the signing order. And every name and date needs to be right.

None of that is necessarily difficult. But it is important. An online service can therefore provide reassurance without turning a relatively straightforward LPA into a full legal-advice exercise.

What information do you need to make an LPA online?

You don’t need to have every possible detail worked out before you begin. But it helps to have the basic information available. You’ll need details for the person making the LPA, known as the donor. You’ll need to decide who you want to appoint as attorney or attorneys. You’ll need their relevant personal details. You’ll also need to think about who can act as your certificate provider.

The certificate provider is the person who confirms that you understand what you are doing and that you are not being pressured into making the LPA. They must meet the legal requirements for the role.

You should also think carefully about whether you want replacement attorneys and how multiple attorneys should be able to act. The biggest mistake is often starting with the form before thinking about the decisions.

It’s usually easier to complete the application once you have had the family conversation first. For a more detailed look at what you need before beginning, see our guide to what information you need before starting an LPA.

Which type of LPA should you make?

There are two.

A Property and Financial Affairs LPA covers financial decisions. That can include bank accounts, paying bills, pensions, benefits, investments and property, depending on the authority given.

A Health and Welfare LPA covers personal decisions. That can include care, where you live, your daily routine and certain medical treatment.

They do different jobs. That is why many people choose to make both. But you don’t have to. Someone might decide that they particularly want financial protection but do not want to make a Health and Welfare LPA.

Another person may want both because they want their chosen people to be able to help with both sides of their life. If you are unsure which one you need, our guide to which Power of Attorney you actually need goes into the practical differences.

Can you do an LPA online if you are married?

Yes. Being married doesn’t prevent either person from making an LPA online. But remember that an LPA is an individual document.

A husband cannot make one LPA that covers both himself and his wife. Each person makes their own LPA.

If a couple both want Property and Financial Affairs and Health and Welfare protection, they will normally make four documents between them. The current OPG registration fee would therefore be £368 at the full £92-per-LPA rate.

There is no special “couples” LPA registration fee. If one spouse loses capacity, the other spouse’s LPA does not automatically give them authority over their partner’s affairs.

That’s a surprisingly important distinction. Being next of kin, being married and having joint finances are not substitutes for legal authority.

What happens after you complete the online application?

This is where the online part ends and the formal legal process begins. Once the application has been completed, the relevant people need to sign it.

The donor signs. The certificate provider signs. The attorneys sign. Witnesses are required for the relevant signatures.

The signing has to happen in the correct order. This is one area where people can get into trouble by treating the LPA like an ordinary form. It isn’t. The OPG needs to be able to establish that the document was correctly executed.

Once the document has been signed, it is sent to the Office of the Public Guardian for registration. The current government guidance says registration takes around 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes. The LPA is not ready to use simply because you have completed the online application. It needs to be registered.

That is why it is sensible to make an LPA before you urgently need it.

Can an online LPA be rejected?

Yes. An online LPA is not immune from rejection simply because the application was completed digitally.

The OPG still checks the document. Errors can include incorrect personal details, problems with signatures, issues with the certificate provider, mistakes in the way attorneys have been appointed, or other problems with the application.

This is why the quality of the preparation matters. A digital form does not magically make an incorrect answer correct. The government itself says that the registration process takes 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes.

If the OPG identifies a problem, the process can take longer. In some cases, an error may be capable of correction. In others, the LPA may need to be made again.

For that reason, checking the application before it is signed is one of the most valuable points in the process. Our guide on how to check if your LPA has been done correctly goes into the checks we recommend before anything is printed and signed.

What are the most common online LPA mistakes?

The details matter. Names should match the relevant official identity documents. Addresses need to be entered correctly. Attorney details need to be accurate. The right LPA type needs to be selected. The attorney structure needs to reflect what you actually want. The certificate provider must be eligible. The signing process must be followed correctly. And instructions or preferences should not be added casually.

It’s tempting to think that an LPA is simply a matter of entering names and clicking through the questions. It’s more nuanced than that.

The application is relatively accessible, but the decisions embedded within it are important. That’s why we recommend treating the online completion as the beginning of the process, not the end.

What happens if you make a mistake?

Don’t panic. A mistake doesn’t automatically mean that everything has to start again.

The answer depends on what the mistake is, whether the document has been signed, and whether it has already been submitted or registered. If you spot an error before signing, that’s usually the best point to correct it.

Once an LPA has been signed, the position becomes more complicated because changing the document can affect its validity. If the LPA has already been registered, you can’t simply edit the registered document like a Word file.

Our guide on how to correct a mistake on an LPA form explains the different stages in more detail.

The general lesson is simple- Check before signing. That is when you have the most flexibility.

Is an online LPA as legally valid as one prepared by a solicitor?

Yes, provided it is correctly made and registered.

The legal validity comes from satisfying the requirements for an LPA, not from the identity of the person or business that helped you prepare it. GOV.UK explicitly allows LPAs to be made online or using paper forms.

A solicitor-prepared LPA is not automatically more legally valid than a correctly completed online LPA. The difference is primarily the service around the document. A solicitor can provide personalised legal advice. An online service can provide structured guidance and checking. The government route provides the forms and official process without a preparation charge.

The right choice depends on what you need.

Is it safe to make an LPA online?

Using an online service is not inherently unsafe. The important question is who you are using and what the service actually provides.

Look for a UK-based provider with clear information about its service, pricing, support and the relationship between its service fee and the OPG registration fee.

You should also be clear about whether the provider is offering legal advice or guided document preparation. Those are not necessarily the same thing.

Power of Attorney Online is a guided online LPA service rather than a law firm. The service combines online completion with an Expert LPA Review and human support. The aim is to make the process easier to understand without pretending that everyone needs a solicitor.

What does our own customer data tell us?

Customers specifically commented on the clarity of the application, step-by-step guidance, help with corrections and reassurance around the signing process.

One customer described the application as clear and easy to follow, while another highlighted the reassurance of having the documents checked before signing and sending them to the OPG. That is broadly the problem we are trying to solve.

Not “How can we make a legal document exist online?” GOV.UK already does that. The question is: How can we make a process that people tend to put off feel manageable enough that they actually finish it correctly?

How long does it take to do an LPA online?

The actual completion time can be relatively short if you already know who you want to appoint and have the necessary information to hand.

Power of Attorney Online currently says an application can be completed in around 15 minutes. That shouldn’t be confused with the full LPA process.

You still need to arrange signatures, submit the document and wait for OPG registration. GOV.UK currently states that registration takes around 8 to 10 weeks if there are no mistakes.

So the right way to think about it is: the application can be quick. The legal process takes longer.

That is precisely why starting early matters.

What does an LPA cost online in 2026?

The government registration fee is currently £92 per LPA. Power of Attorney Online currently charges £125 for one LPA or £250 for a pair.

Option	Provider fee	OPG fee	Total for one LPA
GOV.UK direct	£0	£92	£92
Power of Attorney Online	£125	£92	£217
Solicitor	Varies	£92	£92 + professional fees

The solicitor figure cannot sensibly be reduced to one universal number because firms charge differently and the work involved varies. The same applies to more complex LPA circumstances.

The important thing is to understand that the £92 OPG fee is separate from any preparation or professional fee.

The government increased the registration fee from £82 to £92 in November 2025. Fee exemptions and reductions may be available depending on the donor’s circumstances.

Can you make an LPA online for free?

Yes. The GOV.UK online service allows you to create an LPA without paying a preparation fee.

You still have to pay the OPG registration fee unless you qualify for a reduction or exemption. This is important because we do not think people should be told that they must pay an online provider.

They don’t. If you are confident completing the application yourself, the government route may be exactly what you need.

The reason someone might choose to pay for a specialist service is different. It’s about guidance, checking, support and reassurance. That is a choice.

When should you use a solicitor instead?

Online LPA preparation isn’t the right answer for every situation.

A solicitor may be sensible if your circumstances are complicated or you need legal advice beyond simply completing an LPA. For example, you may have complex family relationships, substantial business interests, unusual assets, complicated estate-planning arrangements or specific legal concerns about instructions and restrictions.

In those circumstances, bespoke advice can be valuable. There’s no prize for avoiding a solicitor.

The goal is to get the right outcome. Equally, there is no reason to assume that a straightforward LPA requires a solicitor simply because it is a legal document.

The biggest reason to do your LPA online now

There’s a practical reason this page matters more than it might first appear. An LPA only works as a planning tool if you make it while you still have the capacity to make it.

If someone loses capacity before making an LPA, their family can’t simply create one for them afterwards. The family may instead need to consider Court of Protection deputyship. That can involve more time, more administration and less direct choice for the person who has lost capacity.

So doing an LPA online isn’t really about convenience for its own sake. It is about removing one of the reasons people delay. You don’t need to wait until you are elderly. You don’t need to wait for a diagnosis. You don’t need to wait until a family crisis makes the decision for you. You can simply decide who you trust and put the legal authority in place while you can.

The simplest way to think about the choice

If you are comfortable doing the paperwork yourself, GOV.UK is a perfectly legitimate route. If you want personalised legal advice because your circumstances are complicated, a solicitor may be the better choice. If you understand what you want but would rather have guided support, checking and human help through the process, a specialist online LPA service may be the middle ground you are looking for.

There is no single correct route for everyone. What matters is that the LPA gets done properly. And that it gets done before you need it.

Ready to make your LPA online?

Power of Attorney Online is designed for people who know they should put an LPA in place but do not necessarily want to navigate the entire process alone.

You can complete the application online, receive guided support, have your LPA checked before signing and then follow the registration process with the Office of the Public Guardian. Our current price is £125 for a single LPA or £250 for a pair, plus the applicable OPG registration fees.

You can also use the free GOV.UK route if you would prefer to complete the process yourself.

Either way, the important thing is the same. Choose the people you trust. Get the paperwork right. Register it while you still have capacity. That is what doing an LPA online is really about.