The headline cost: £82 per LPA
Registering a lasting power of attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) costs £82 per document in 2026. There are two types — Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare — and most people set up both, so the typical registration cost is £164 per person, or £328 for a couple doing both LPAs each.
The £82 fee is paid to the OPG, not to a solicitor or will-writer. It's the same whether you fill in the forms yourself or use a professional.
Fee remissions and exemptions
You may pay a reduced fee or no fee at all depending on your circumstances.
- 50% remission (£41) if your gross income is under £12,000 per year
- Full exemption if you receive certain means-tested benefits (Income Support, Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Guarantee Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, or Working Tax Credit with specific elements)
- Refunds available if you registered an LPA between April 2013 and March 2017 — you can claim back part of the fee
DIY vs professional drafting
You can complete the LPA forms yourself on gov.uk for free, then pay only the £82 registration fee. This works if your situation is simple and you understand the implications.
Professional drafting in the UK ranges widely. Will-writers and estate planners typically charge £150–£400 per LPA. Solicitors usually charge £400–£800 per LPA. A combined Property & Financial Affairs + Health & Welfare package from an estate planner usually sits around £450–£700 for one person, or £750–£1,200 for a couple.
Business LPAs — for company directors and sole traders — are typically £400–£700 because the attorney powers and restrictions need bespoke drafting.
The hidden cost of doing nothing or doing it wrong
If you lose capacity without an LPA in place, your family must apply to the Court of Protection for a Deputyship Order. That costs £371 to apply, around £494 in annual supervision fees, often £2,500+ in legal fees, and takes 6–12 months. During that time nobody can access your bank accounts or make decisions for you.
The OPG also rejects roughly 1 in 5 self-drafted LPAs for technical errors — wrong witness order, ambiguous instructions, contradictory preferences. Each rejection costs another £82 to refile.
