Registration of LPAs

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a document by which you can appoint another person to look after your affairs. Two types of LPA exist. One concerns financial matters (a property and affairs LPA) and one concerns health care matters (a personal welfare LPA).

Every LPA needs to be registered by the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used (whether or not the person who granted the power is capable). It is mandatory for an LPA to be registered and the attorney(s) will have no authority to act until the LPA has been registered.

An attorney will not be able to act to help the donor of the power until it has been registered. Currently, an application to Court to register an LPA can take up to 3-4 months to be completed.

Whilst the application is being processed, the LPA has no effect. This means that the attorneys cannot manage the individuals financial affairs which can often be difficult if bills are outstanding or assets need to be dealt with (such as selling a house).

By registering now you avoid register potential hardship for the donor and the family.