A power of attorney costs between £92 and roughly £800 per document in England and Wales, depending on how you set it up. Doing it yourself costs only the £92 Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registration fee per document. A solicitor usually adds £300 to £600 plus VAT per document on top. Most people make two documents, so a realistic all-in total is £184 for the DIY route or £900 to £1,620 through a solicitor.
Figures are current as at August 2026 and subject to change.
What does a power of attorney cost by route?
The cost depends almost entirely on who prepares the documents. There are three common routes: doing it yourself on gov.uk, using an online LPA provider, or instructing a solicitor. The £92 OPG fee is the same on all three, so what changes is the professional fee stacked on top. The table below shows typical all-in totals for one person setting up both LPAs, and for a couple setting up all four.
| Route | Professional fee (per LPA) | OPG fee (per LPA) | All-in, one person (2 LPAs) | All-in, couple (4 LPAs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself on gov.uk | £0 | £92 | £184 | £368 |
| Online LPA provider | About £90 to £200 | £92 | About £365 to £585 | About £730 to £1,170 |
| Solicitor | £300 to £600 plus VAT | £92 | About £900 to £1,620 | About £1,810 to £3,250 |
Based on published UK LPA pricing surveyed August 2026, subject to change. VAT is charged at 20% on professional fees, not on the OPG fee. For the solicitor route in detail, see how much a solicitor charges for power of attorney.
Two LPAs, not one, is the usual starting point: a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA. Each is a separate document with its own £92 fee, which is why the DIY minimum is £184 rather than £92. Our guide to a lasting power of attorney explains what each type covers.
Why is there a £92 fee even if you do it yourself?
The £92 is a government registration fee paid to the Office of the Public Guardian, not a charge from a solicitor or provider. An LPA has no legal effect until the OPG registers it, and each document is registered on its own, so the fee applies per LPA on every route, including the free DIY option.
This is where headline prices mislead. A "£92 power of attorney" usually means one document with no advice, while a "£450" solicitor quote often excludes VAT and the £92 fees entirely. Ask for the professional fee, the VAT and the registration fees as three separate lines so you can see the true total.
Can you reduce or avoid the power of attorney cost?
You can often cut the government fee, and you can remove the professional fee entirely by doing it yourself. Reductions apply to the OPG charge based on the donor's income and benefits. Where an LPA forms part of wider estate planning, such as planning for the impact of care home fees, paid advice can still be worth the cost.
- 50% reduction. If the donor's gross annual income is under £12,000, the OPG fee is halved to £46 per LPA. You send evidence of income with the application (gov.uk, register an LPA, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- Full exemption. If the donor receives certain means-tested benefits, such as Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Guarantee Credit, no OPG fee is payable (gov.uk, register an LPA, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- Do it yourself. Completing and registering the LPAs on gov.uk removes the professional fee, leaving only the OPG charge, or nothing at all if you also qualify for exemption.
An LPA is often set up at the same time as making a will, and some firms price the two together, so it is worth asking about a combined quote before you commit to separate purchases.