Losing mental capacity doesn't announce itself. A stroke, an accident, a sudden illness — and someone who was managing their own life the day before can no longer make decisions about their finances or their care. This happens every day in the UK, and without an LPA in place, the family finds out the hard way that "we'll sort it out together" isn't actually an option.
What happens without an LPA
If someone loses capacity and has no Lasting Power of Attorney, their family has no automatic legal authority to act for them — not a spouse, not an adult child, nobody. Bills can't be paid from their account. Healthcare decisions can't be confirmed. The only route left is applying to the Court of Protection to be appointed as a deputy.
What the Court of Protection route costs
Families in this position typically face:
- Court application fee: £408
- Solicitor fees to prepare the application: £1,500–£3,000
- Supervision order (year one): £1,000–£2,000+
- Ongoing annual supervision fees: £500–£1,000+
Total for the first year alone: typically £3,400–£6,400 — all because one document wasn't in place.
The bigger cost is time
The Court of Protection process commonly takes several months. During that time, bills can go unpaid, mortgage payments can be missed, and care home fees can fall behind — while the family, without legal authority, can't access accounts or confirm care decisions to fix any of it. It's a genuinely stressful position to be in, on top of whatever crisis brought it about in the first place.
What an LPA changes
An LPA takes around 30 minutes on the phone to set up and costs from £300 for both types, for one person. Your chosen attorney has instant legal authority to act on your behalf the moment it's needed. No court application. No months-long wait. No supervision fees.
This isn't just for later in life
Capacity loss isn't age-related. Strokes, accidents, and sudden illness can happen at any age. The assumption that an LPA is something to think about "when you're older" is exactly the assumption that leaves families without one when it matters.
Don't leave your family without authority
An LPA takes minutes to set up and costs from £300. The alternative — the Court of Protection route — costs thousands and takes months.
Sort Your LPAsThe point: An LPA isn't something you do when you're old or sick. It's something you do now, while you can, so your family is never in this position.