A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets someone choose one or more trusted people (attorneys) to make decisions on their behalf, when they no longer have mental capacity.
Their chosen attorneys must always act in their best interests and respect the wishes that have previously been discussed.
There are 2 types of LPA
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One covering property and finances
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Another for health and care decisions
People can make one or both of the LPAs.
All LPAs must be registered by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).
It takes up to 8 weeks to register an LPA if there are no mistakes in the application and no objections.
Find out more about when an LPA can be used.
A registered LPA can be ended if you change your mind whilst you still have capacity.
In this video, Dr Ros Taylor explains the process of creating a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and why it is important.