How Much Does a Lasting Power of Attorney Cost to Register?

If you are thinking about making a lasting power of attorney (LPA), one of the first questions is a practical one: what will it cost? The answer is simpler than many people fear. In England and Wales there is a fixed government registration fee for each LPA. If you use a solicitor, there is a separate fee for the advice and drafting. This guide covers both, so you can budget without surprises.

The headline cost: the OPG registration fee

An LPA cannot be used until it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), the government body that oversees attorneys in England and Wales. The OPG charges a registration fee of £92 for each LPA, a figure that has applied since 17 November 2025. The fee is the same whether you fill in the forms yourself or have a solicitor prepare everything. It is a government charge, paid to the OPG, and separate from any advice fee.

Why most people pay the fee twice

There are two types of LPA, and they cover different parts of your life. A property and financial affairs LPA lets your chosen attorney deal with money matters: paying bills, managing bank accounts, dealing with your home. A health and welfare LPA covers decisions about your care, medical treatment and day-to-day wellbeing, and can only be used once you are no longer able to make those decisions yourself. The two are not interchangeable, and most people who plan ahead put both in place.

Each LPA is a separate legal document, so each must be registered separately and each carries its own £92 OPG fee. One person putting both types in place budgets for two registration fees. A couple who each want both LPAs have four documents and four fees. None of this is hidden. It helps to know the arithmetic before you start.

Paying less: fee remissions and exemptions

The OPG fee is not always payable in full. If your income before tax is below £12,000 a year, you can apply for a remission that halves the fee to £46 per LPA. If you receive certain means-tested benefits, you may be exempt and pay nothing. This depends on your own circumstances, not the type of LPA, and you apply for it as part of the registration. Check whether you qualify before you pay. It makes a real difference where several LPAs are registered at once.

Where solicitor fees fit in

You can complete the LPA forms yourself, and some people do. Where a solicitor adds value is in the advice: choosing the right attorneys, framing sensible instructions and preferences, getting the certificate provider step right, and making sure the document does what you want it to, so it holds up when your family one day needs to rely on it. A poorly drafted LPA can be rejected by the OPG or, worse, prove unworkable years later when nobody can fix it.

Aaron's LPA fees are fixed and agreed up front, never a percentage of your estate. One LPA, both types for one person, one type each for a couple and all four for a couple are each priced on their own. Doing them together with your will takes a fixed amount off the fee, once, because the meetings, identity checks and signing happen once. The £92 OPG registration fee per LPA is on top. Aaron publishes every fee, with VAT, on the fees page.

An LPA is one of the kindest things you can do for your family. The cost of getting it right is modest. The cost of not having one when it is needed can be far greater.

The hidden cost of leaving it too late

An LPA can only be made while you still have mental capacity, meaning you can understand and weigh up the decision. If capacity is lost first, an LPA is no longer an option. Your family must instead apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as a deputy. That is slower, more involved and usually more expensive, with ongoing supervision afterwards. The £92 registration fee for an LPA you put in place today is a small price compared with the cost and strain of deputyship later.

• LPA, done in good time. A fixed, predictable cost and a document that is ready when it is needed.
• No LPA, capacity lost. A Court of Protection deputyship application, with court fees, possible ongoing supervision charges and months of delay.

Budgeting for your LPA: a simple summary

Every LPA you register costs £92 to the OPG, unless you qualify for a remission or exemption. Most people register two LPAs (financial and welfare), so budget for two fees. On top of that sits any solicitor fee for advice and drafting, which Aaron agrees as a fixed amount before any work begins. There are no percentages and no estate-value charges.

• £92 OPG registration fee per LPA (since 17 November 2025)
• Most people register two LPAs, so plan for two fees
• A remission or exemption may reduce or remove the OPG fee if you are eligible
• Any Safe Harbour Legal advice is a fixed fee, agreed up front and published on the fees page
• Acting in good time avoids the larger cost of a Court of Protection deputyship

Local help with your LPA

Sorting out an LPA is an easy job to put off. Aaron Johnson, a Consultant Solicitor and TEP (a Trust and Estate Practitioner qualified through STEP), helps families across Bridlington, Driffield, Filey, Hornsea, Beverley, Bempton, Flamborough and the wider East Riding put the right protection in place, including on a home visit. Your first call is free and there is no obligation.