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Lasting Power of Attorney

LPA Property and Financial Affairs

An LPA for property and financial affairs lets you appoint someone you trust to manage your money, bank accounts, bills and property if you become unable to do so yourself. Our solicitors prepare and register it correctly, from our South Wimbledon office.

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What is a property and financial affairs LPA?

A property and financial affairs LPA is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people you trust, called attorneys, to make decisions about your money and property if you cannot make them yourself. It covers everyday banking and bills through to larger matters such as selling your home. It must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before anyone can use it.

You stay in control of when it takes effect. You can allow your attorney to help you as soon as the LPA is registered, while you still have capacity, or you can restrict it so that it can only be used if you later lose the ability to make your own decisions.

When you might need one

  • If an illness or injury such as a stroke or dementia leaves you unable to manage your finances.
  • If you spend time in hospital or abroad and need someone to handle bills and banking for you.
  • If you run a business and want cover for financial decisions if you are unavailable.
  • To avoid your family having to apply to the Court of Protection, which costs more and takes longer.
  • To choose for yourself who manages your affairs, rather than leaving it to a judge to decide.

Who can make one, and who you can appoint

You can make a property and financial affairs LPA if you are 18 or over and have the mental capacity to understand it, as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Your attorneys must also be 18 or over. An attorney for property and financial affairs must not be bankrupt or subject to a debt relief order.

One or more attorneys

You can appoint a single attorney or several. Where you appoint more than one, you decide whether they act together, separately, or together for certain decisions only.

Replacement attorneys

You can name replacements who step in if an original attorney can no longer act, for example if they die or lose capacity themselves.

A certificate provider

An independent person confirms that you understand the LPA and are not being pressured into making it. A solicitor can act in this role.

We prepare and register lasting powers of attorney from our South Wimbledon office at 191 Merton Road, London SW19 1EE. Please call 020 8543 3302 to arrange an appointment. This service is not currently offered from our Balham and Tooting branch.

What the process involves

1. Choose your attorneys

Decide who will act for you, whether they act together or separately, and name any replacements.

2. Complete the LPA

Set out any preferences and instructions, and choose whether the LPA can be used straight away or only if you lose capacity.

3. Sign in the correct order

The donor, certificate provider and attorneys must sign in the sequence the law requires. Signing out of order is a common reason the OPG rejects an LPA.

4. Register with the OPG

The signed LPA is sent to the Office of the Public Guardian. Under the current rules, only the donor can apply to register it.

5. Wait for registration

The OPG carries out its checks and a statutory waiting period before the LPA is registered and ready to use. This currently takes several weeks.

How we help

  1. 1

    Free short initial phone call

    We talk through your circumstances and confirm which type of LPA you need.

  2. 2

    Draft your LPA correctly

    We choose the right options and wording for you, which reduces the risk of rejection and delay.

  3. 3

    Guide the signing

    We make sure every party signs in the right order and that the document is properly witnessed.

  4. 4

    Register it for you

    We help you submit the LPA to the Office of the Public Guardian and deal with any queries that arise.

What is included in our service

  • A free short initial phone call, of up to five minutes about your needs
  • Advice on choosing your attorneys and replacements
  • Drafting your property and financial affairs LPA
  • Preferences and instructions tailored to your wishes
  • Checking the document carefully before it is signed
  • Help registering the LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian

The OPG registration fee of £92 per LPA is payable to the government and is separate from our fee. You can see our own charges on our fixed fees page. Many people put a property and financial affairs LPA in place at the same time as a simple will, so that both their money and their wishes are covered.

Common questions

It lets your attorney deal with your money and property. That includes paying bills, managing bank and building society accounts, collecting a pension or benefits, and, if you wish, buying or selling property. You can limit these powers with instructions if you prefer to keep certain decisions out of your attorney's hands.

You decide. You can allow your attorney to act as soon as the LPA is registered, even while you still have capacity, which is useful if you find managing money difficult. Alternatively, you can specify that it may only be used if you lose the mental capacity to make decisions yourself.

There are two parts. The Office of the Public Guardian charges a registration fee of £92 for each LPA, paid to the government. A 50 percent reduction or a full exemption may apply on low income or certain benefits. Our own fixed fee for preparing and registering your LPA is shown on our fixed fees page.

Once the signed LPA reaches the Office of the Public Guardian, it carries out its checks and observes a statutory waiting period before registering the document. This currently takes several weeks. Errors in the paperwork are the main cause of longer delays, which is why careful drafting matters.

Yes. The government runs an online service, and the process is moving steadily onto a digital system under the Powers of Attorney Act 2023. Even so, many LPAs are rejected every year for errors such as signing in the wrong order. Using a solicitor reduces that risk and gives you tailored advice.

Your family cannot automatically step in. They would need to apply to the Court of Protection for a deputyship order, which costs more, takes several months, and means a judge decides who manages your affairs. A registered LPA lets you avoid all of that by choosing in advance.

Yes. This LPA deals only with money and property. Decisions about your medical care, where you live and your daily routine are covered by a separate health and welfare LPA. Most people choose to put both in place so that every area is covered.

Last updated: July 2026.