How much a solicitor charges for power of attorney in England and Wales is usually £300 to £600 plus VAT for each LPA, or a combined price of roughly £350 to £500 plus VAT for one person's two LPAs. On top of the solicitor's fee sits a separate £92 Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) registration fee per LPA, so a fully advised service for one person often totals around £700 to £900 all in.
Figures are current as at August 2026 and subject to change.
How much does a solicitor charge for power of attorney?
A solicitor typically charges £300 to £600 plus VAT per LPA, or a bundled £350 to £500 plus VAT for one person's two LPAs. What you pay tracks the service level rather than the firm alone: whether the solicitor drafts the forms, advises on the wording, provides the certificate and registers the documents. The three common tiers, quoted per person and excluding the government registration fee, break down like this.
| Service level | What the solicitor does | Typical fee (plus VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | You complete and register the forms on gov.uk; no solicitor involved | £0 professional fee |
| Check or certificate only | Reviews your drafted LPA, or acts as certificate provider confirming you understand it | About £100 to £250 per LPA |
| Fully advised | Advises, drafts, adds specific instructions, provides the certificate and registers with the OPG | £300 to £600 per LPA; often £350 to £500 combined for both |
Based on published UK LPA pricing surveyed August 2026, subject to change. VAT is charged at 20%. See the two types of LPA in our guide to a lasting power of attorney.
Is the £92 registration fee separate from the solicitor's bill?
Yes. The £92 fee is a government charge paid to the Office of the Public Guardian to register each LPA, separate from anything a solicitor charges. An LPA has no legal effect until it is registered, and each one is registered on its own, so two LPAs cost £184 whether or not a solicitor is involved.
Most people set up both types, a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA, so £184 in OPG fees is usual per person. A couple making all four LPAs pay £368.
What is the all-in cost for one person and for a couple?
The all-in cost is the solicitor's fee, plus 20% VAT on that fee, plus the £92 OPG fee for each LPA. Split that way, both the headline "£92" and "£450" figures mislead: one person setting up both LPAs through a solicitor usually pays around £700 to £900, and a couple roughly £1,400 to £1,800.
| Scenario | Solicitor fee | VAT (20%) | OPG fee | All-in total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One person, both LPAs, do it yourself | £0 | £0 | £184 | £184 |
| One person, both LPAs, solicitor (£450) | £450 | £90 | £184 | £724 |
| Couple, four LPAs, solicitor (£450 each) | £900 | £180 | £368 | £1,448 |
Worked example, Fairchild Oldfield, August 2026. Illustrative only; solicitor fees vary, and are higher where charged per LPA rather than as a bundle. OPG fee per gov.uk, subject to change.
Ask any firm to quote the fee, the VAT and the registration fees as three separate lines. A "£450" quote that excludes VAT and £184 of OPG fees is really £724 to pay.
Can you reduce or avoid the fee?
You can cut the government fee, though rarely the solicitor's fee. Reductions apply to the OPG charge based on the donor's income, and doing it yourself removes the professional fee. Where an LPA forms part of wider estate planning, for example planning for the impact of care home fees, paid advice is often 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.
- 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, reduced or exempt LPA fees, as at August 2026, subject to change).
- Do it yourself. Completing and registering the LPAs on gov.uk removes the solicitor's fee, leaving only the OPG charge.
An LPA often sits alongside making a will, and some firms price the two together, so it is worth asking about a combined quote.