Guidance

How to be an attorney

Detailed guides for people making property and finance or health and welfare decisions under a lasting power of attorney.

Applies to England and Wales

Documents

lp14-how-to-be-a-property-and-finances-attorney

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Guidance for people wanting to manage a bank account for someone else

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Details

These leaflets are for people appointed as attorneys under a lasting power of attorney (LPA) or who are considering taking on that role.

They include things to think about before becoming an attorney and answer common questions people have while acting as an attorney. The leaflets use plenty of case studies to help attorneys make decisions.

The leaflets cover:

  • registering an LPA
  • what tasks you’ll undertake as an attorney
  • when you start acting as an attorney
  • what mental capacity means
  • how to help the donor make decisions
  • understanding best interests
  • claiming expenses as an attorney
  • stopping being an attorney

Updates to this page

Published 21 July 2016
Last updated 16 June 2020 + show all updates
  1. Court of Protection fee changed from "at least £400" to £365

  2. Added translation

  3. Added HTML versions of these guides

  4. First published.

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