Office Of The Public Guardian
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You can make decisions on someones behalf if they appoint you using a lasting power of attorney (LPA).
You can contact GOV.UK to request this guide in another format, for example large print or braille.
The person who appoints you is called the donor. Youre their attorney.
You do not need any legal experience to act as someones attorney.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
Before you start acting as an attorney
Prepare by talking to the donor so youre ready to make decisions in their best interests. For example, ask about their plans for their money or how they want to be cared for if they become seriously ill.
Make sure the LPA has been registered - you cannot start acting until it is. It can take up to 16 weeks to register a lasting power of attorney. A registered LPA will be stamped with validated-OPG.
Check the types of decisions you can make and when you can start acting as a:
After you start acting as an attorney
You must:
- follow any instructions the donor included in the LPA
- consider any preferences the donor included in the LPA
- help the donor make their own decisions as much as they can
- make any decisions in the donors best interests
- respect their human and civil rights
You must make the decisions yourself - you cannot ask someone to make them for you.
Find out how to make decisions for someone else including how to get help making difficult decisions. Your decisions can be checked.
If youre not the only attorney
Check the LPA. It will tell you whether you must make decisions:
- jointly - this means all the attorneys must agree
- jointly and severally - this means you can make decisions together or on your own
The LPA may tell you to make some decisions jointly and others jointly and severally.
Find out what to do if you make decisions jointly with someone who stops acting as an attorney.