LPA pricing gap: nearly three in four solicitor firms surveyed don't publish what they charge


Steve Ryan, founder of yourLPA
Steve Ryan, founder of yourLPA
Only 27% of firms show a current price
Only 27% of firms show a current price

yourLPA research finds published prices for couples range from GBP 900 to GBP 2,400, while nearly half (23 of 50) of websites stating the government registration fee give an outdated figure

Nearly three in four solicitor firms checked across England and Wales do not publish a current price for preparing a lasting power of attorney (LPA), according to research released by online LPA service yourLPA.

The findings reveal a substantial gap in the information available to people comparing lasting power of attorney costs. For couples arranging both types of LPA, published professional charges ranged from GBP 900 to GBP 2,400 for four documents, before government registration fees.

In October 2026, yourLPA checked the websites of 113 solicitor firms in 20 towns and cities across England and Wales. Only 31 (27%) showed a current LPA price. Six more showed only out-of-date prices in old articles or expired offers, and 76 published no price at all.

Published lasting power of attorney costs vary by GBP 1,500 for couples

Across the 42 firms included in yourLPA’s published-price comparison, the median charge was:
• GBP 540 for one LPA
• GBP 900 for one person making both types (property and financial affairs, and health and welfare)
• GBP 1,375 for a couple each making both types

Prices include VAT but not the GBP 92 government registration fee for each LPA. Published prices for a couple ranged from GBP 900 to GBP 2,400 for the same four documents.

There are two types of LPA: property and financial affairs, and health and welfare. A couple each preparing both types therefore needs four documents, attracting GBP 368 in registration fees at the full rate.

Nearly half of websites stating registration fees give an outdated amount

The research also identified outdated information about the government charge for registering an LPA.

Of the 50 firm websites that stated the Office of the Public Guardian’s registration fee, 23 (46%) quoted an old figure, 16 of them on their current LPA or fees page.

Most quoted GBP 82, although the registration fee increased to GBP 92 in November 2025. For a couple registering four LPAs, that difference would understate the full registration cost by GBP 40.

The findings show that a published professional charge alone may not provide an accurate picture of the total cost where the accompanying registration information has not been updated.

Local findings show differences in access to LPA prices

Price publication varied between the locations checked. Six of the 11 firms surveyed in Newcastle and Sunderland published a price, compared with none of the nine checked in Norwich and Cambridge.

These results describe the firms examined. With between nine and 18 firms checked in each regional grouping, they should not be treated as representative findings for every solicitor firm in those areas.

Deputyship figures underline the value of advance planning

Without an LPA, a family usually has to apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed as a deputy if someone loses the ability to make their own decisions. The research also recorded published charges for these deputyship applications.

The four firms publishing a deputyship price quoted professional fees of GBP 1,140 to GBP 3,000, including VAT. On top of this come the official fees: GBP 432 court application fee, a GBP 100 assessment fee and annual supervision fees usually costing GBP 320 a year.

Ministry of Justice figures show that property and financial affairs deputyship applications took an average of 24 weeks from application to court order in 2025.

By comparison, the full government registration fee for one person making both types of LPA is GBP 184, excluding any preparation or advice charges.

Steve Ryan, founder of yourLPA and a Full Member of the Society of Will Writers, said: "Most people only make an LPA once, so they have no idea what a fair price looks like. If nearly three in four firms won't put a price on their website, families can't easily compare without phoning round.

"The most serious part of this is the risk of people leaving it too late. Without LPAs in place, a family can face thousands in legal and court fees, plus a supervision fee every year, while they wait months to be able to act.

"I believe greater transparency across the legal sector about the cost of putting LPAs in place would help more people move forward with these important documents."

Notes to editors
1. How the survey was done.
o On 25 October 2026, yourLPA checked the websites of 113 law firms regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), in 20 towns and cities across all nine English regions and Wales.
o In each place, firms were taken in order from web searches for LPA, power of attorney and wills solicitors. The searches didn't mention prices.
o Up to 10 firms were taken per place. Will writers and online services were left out.
o On 26 October 2026, every firm without a current price was re-checked page by page, including price lists. No missed prices were found. Two firms whose websites don't offer LPAs were removed, leaving 113.
o A dated copy of every page behind the figures was saved on 26 October 2026, with a screenshot of each published price.
o With 113 firms, the 27% figure has a margin of error of about 8 percentage points either way (95% confidence: 20% to 36%). Even at the cautious end, around two-thirds of the firms checked don't publish a price. The counts for each region are too small to rank areas.
2. Where the price figures come from. They use 42 firms: the 31 survey firms that publish a price, plus 11 more found by searching specifically for published prices. Those 11 aren't counted in the 27% figure. Firms that publish prices may charge less than those that don't, so the medians may understate what many people pay.
3. How prices are counted.
o Prices include VAT and exclude the GBP 92 registration fee per LPA.
o Where a firm gave only a per-LPA price, the cost of two or four LPAs was calculated.
o "From" and minimum prices are counted as stated.
4. Firms aren't named. Full results and method: yourlpa.co.uk/lpa-price-survey.
5. Official fees are from GOV.UK: GBP 92 to register an LPA, GBP 432 to apply for a deputyship, a GBP 100 assessment fee, and supervision usually GBP 320 a year. The deputyship waiting time is from a Ministry of Justice written answer of 1 June 2026 (UIN 3422): 23.9 weeks on average in 2025, with half of cases taking 15.6 weeks or less.
6. About yourLPA.
o yourLPA (yourlpa.co.uk) is an online service for making lasting powers of attorney in England and Wales.
o Every application is checked by Steve Ryan, a Full Member of the Society of Will Writers, before it is printed and posted to the customer.
o It costs GBP 95 for one LPA, GBP 165 for both types, or GBP 295 for a couple, plus the government fee.
o yourLPA is a trading name of Futura Planning Ltd. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the SRA.
7. Interviews: Steve Ryan is available for interview.
8. Media contact: Steve Ryan, [email protected], 0330 190 0550.