The honest answer depends on which power of attorney you actually need, and that is where most cost guides go wrong. ‘Power of attorney’ covers several different legal documents, each with its own registration rules, its own fee structure, and its own reason for existing.
A Lasting Power of Attorney registered with the Office of the Public Guardian costs something different to an Ordinary Power of Attorney used while you are still fully capable, and both cost something different again once notarisation or an apostille is added because the document needs to work overseas.
This guide breaks the cost down by type, using the fees currently in effect, so you can work out which figure actually applies to your situation.
Which “Power of Attorney” Cost Are You Actually Asking About?
The Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is the most common route for planning ahead in case of future incapacity. The term also covers an Ordinary or General Power of Attorney, which is used for a temporary or specific purpose while the donor is still mentally capable.
A notarised Power of Attorney is needed whenever any of these documents has to be recognised by an authority, bank, or land registry outside the UK.
Each has a different cost structure, summarised below.
| Type | Typical use | Typical total cost |
| Ordinary / General PoA | Temporary authority while mentally capable, such as managing affairs while abroad | £0 to £350 (drafting only, no registration fee) |
| Lasting Power of Attorney | Long-term planning in case of future loss of mental capacity | £92 to £1,500+ per LPA, depending on route |
| Notarised PoA for overseas use | Any PoA that needs to be recognised outside the UK | Notary fee plus apostille or consular legalisation, varies by destination |
If your situation involves selling property abroad, managing a relative’s affairs from overseas, or a foreign registry asking for a UK document, the figure you need is in the notarisation section further down, not the LPA section.
Lasting Power of Attorney Cost Breakdown
An LPA has two separate costs to account for: the government registration fee, and, if you use one, professional fees for drafting and advice.
The OPG Registration Fee
Every LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used, regardless of whether a solicitor was involved in preparing it. The standard fee is currently £92 per LPA, following an increase from £82 on 17 November 2025.
If you register both a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA, which most people do since they cover different aspects of your life, the total registration cost is £184.
This fee is fixed by the Office of the Public Guardian and applies whether you complete the forms yourself or through a solicitor.
Solicitor Fees for Drafting an LPA
If you use a solicitor to draft and advise on your LPA, expect to pay somewhere in the region of £250 to £600 plus VAT per document, on top of the registration fee. More complex situations, such as a blended family, a business interest that needs specific provisions, or a concern about undue influence, tend to sit at the higher end of that range.
Online specialist services sit between the DIY route and a full solicitor service, typically charging a package fee that includes both the drafting support and the OPG registration fee.
Total Cost Comparison
| Route | What’s included | Typical total cost (both LPAs) |
| DIY via GOV.UK | Registration fee only, no drafting support | £184 |
| Online specialist service | Guided form completion plus registration fee | Roughly £200 to £1,300, depending on provider |
| Full solicitor service | Drafting, advice, and registration fee | Roughly £700 to £1,500+ |
Our Lasting Power of Attorney service covers the drafting and review work where a solicitor is worth involving, and our guide to setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney [LINK TO BLOG WHEN LIVE] walks through the registration process itself in full, including the most common reasons applications are delayed.
Can You Reduce or Avoid the LPA Fee?
The OPG offers two forms of financial support with the registration fee, and the rules around one of them changed recently.
A 50% reduction is available if the donor’s gross annual income is under £12,000, bringing the fee down to £46 per LPA. A full exemption applies if the donor receives certain means-tested benefits, such as Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit.
Universal Credit used to qualify automatically for the full exemption. From 2 February 2026, this changed. Universal Credit recipients are now assessed against the £12,000 income threshold for the 50% reduction instead, rather than receiving an automatic exemption. If you receive Universal Credit and your gross annual income is above £12,000, you will no longer qualify for any reduction on that basis.
Applications for a reduction or exemption are made using form LPA120, alongside evidence such as payslips, a P60, or a benefits award letter. Full details of current eligibility and how to apply are set out in the government’s guidance on reduced fees.
Ordinary and General Power of Attorney Cost
An Ordinary or General Power of Attorney is not registered with the Office of the Public Guardian, so there is no registration fee to account for. The cost is limited to drafting the document, typically through a solicitor, and usually runs to somewhere between £150 and £350 depending on complexity.
This type of PoA only works while the donor has mental capacity and automatically ends if that capacity is lost, which is why it cannot substitute for an LPA as a long-term safeguard. It is most often used for a specific, time-limited purpose, such as authorising someone to manage a bank account or sign property paperwork while the donor is travelling or living abroad.
What Does It Cost to Notarise a Power of Attorney for Use Overseas?
Once a Power of Attorney needs to be recognised by a foreign land registry, bank, or government department, UK registration alone is not enough. Foreign institutions do not usually recognise a standard solicitor’s certification for this purpose, and the document typically needs to be executed in front of a notary public instead.
The cost has two potential layers, depending on the destination country.
| Route | What it involves | Typical destinations |
| Notarisation only | A notary witnesses the signing and applies their seal | Often sufficient for India, the Carribean, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, depending on the end user |
| Notarisation plus apostille | The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office authenticates the notary’s signature after notarisation | Hague Convention countries, including most European destinations and, in some cases, India |
| Notarisation plus consular legalisation | The relevant embassy or High Commission in London provides a final stamp after the FCDO stage | Non-Hague destinations, such as UAE, Egypt and Kuwait, where an apostille alone is not accepted |
Notary fees vary depending on the document and whether an appointment is at an office or arranged through a mobile notary visit. Our guide to notary costs in the UK sets out current fees in detail rather than repeating them here, since pricing depends on the specific document and service involved.
For a personal PoA, such as one used to sell a family property abroad, our personal notary service covers the appointment and legalisation process. For a corporate PoA, such as one authorising a local director or lawyer to sign on a company’s behalf overseas, our business notary service handles the additional verification, including confirming signing authority with Companies House.
Our Power of Attorney notary page and apostille and legalisation services cover both stages together, and consular legalisation is arranged as a separate step where the destination country requires it.
Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA): Is There Still a Cost Involved?
If you or a relative made an Enduring Power of Attorney before October 2007, when EPAs were replaced by LPAs, it remains valid but cannot be used once the donor starts losing mental capacity until it has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. Registration carries the same £92 fee as an LPA.
The Cost of Not Having a Power of Attorney
Without a registered LPA or a valid, registered EPA, a family cannot simply step in to manage someone’s affairs once they lose mental capacity. The only route at that point is an application to the Court of Protection for a deputyship, and it is worth understanding how the cost compares before assuming an LPA is an expense you can put off.
A deputyship application involves a court fee, typically an assessment fee, and often an annual supervision fee for as long as the deputyship remains in place, in addition to any solicitor costs for making the application itself.
Taken together, this usually costs considerably more than the £92 to £184 an LPA would have cost if set up in advance, and the process itself generally takes longer and involves closer ongoing court oversight than simply registering an LPA.
Getting Your Power of Attorney Costed Correctly
Once you know which type of Power of Attorney actually applies to your situation, getting an accurate cost is straightforward. At MSC Notaries, we can confirm whether you need an LPA, an Ordinary PoA, or a notarised and legalised document for use overseas, and give you a clear cost upfront rather than leaving you to work it out from a generic fee table.
Our solicitors can draft or review an LPA before it goes to the Office of the Public Guardian. Where a document needs to be notarised and legalised for use abroad, our team can handle the notarisation, apostille, and consular legalisation stages together.
We offer appointments at our Central London and Harrow offices, along with a mobile notary service for anyone who cannot travel to us.
You can find out more about our team on our About page, or contact us to discuss your specific situation and get a clear cost for what you need. Call us on 0208 907 2699 or email info@mscnotaries.com to arrange an appointment.
