The Lasting Power of Attorney service provides peace of mind by allowing individuals to plan ahead and ensure their affairs are handled according to their wishes if they become unable to make decisions in the future.
This service has been designed by the Government, to make using a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) easier and more accessible.
An attorney or a donor can use this service to view their LPA summary or to allow individuals or organisations to do the same. They can also keep track of who has been given access to their LPA and see how individuals named on the LPA have been using the service.
Sometimes it can be difficult to provide organisations with the original LPA or even a certified copy as certification needs to be signed on every page of the document with specific wording (sometimes specific to the organisation). This service allows an organisation to use an access code to view a summary of the LPA; check whether the LPA is valid and check who the attorneys are. Therefore, preventing having to get a certified copy or retrieving the original from safe storage and saving much time and effort.
To be eligible to use this service the LPA must be registered in England and Wales and must have been registered before 1 January 2016. If your LPA was registered before this time you will still need to provide paper versions.
An account can be created by simply using the LPA reference number and the activation key. If an LPA was registered after 17 July 2020, the activation key is written on the letter from the Office of Public Guardian informing that the LPA has been registered. If the LPA was registered after 1 January 2016, the service can be used to ask for an activation key.
For more information on how to make an account, please see the link below:
It is always recommended to seek legal advice when creating an LPA to ensure all legal requirements are met and the document accurately reflects the donor’s intentions.
If you would like to speak to someone in our Private Client team about creating an LPA, please call us on 0345 209 4700.
Robyn Carroll, Trainee Solicitor