Lasting Power of Attorney
You can cancel a Lasting Power of Attorney at any time while you have mental capacity. Here is how the process works.
Making an LPA does not mean giving up control. As long as you have mental capacity, you can revoke the LPA at any time — for any reason, without the attorney's consent.
The process involves signing a deed of revocation, notifying the attorney, and — if the LPA is registered — informing the Office of the Public Guardian using form LP5.
Step by Step
You can only revoke an LPA while you have mental capacity. If you have lost capacity, you cannot revoke the LPA yourself — an application to the Court of Protection would be needed to cancel it.
You must sign a written deed of revocation — a formal document stating that you are revoking the LPA. This must be witnessed by an independent adult who is not the attorney being removed.
You must formally notify the attorney(s) that the LPA has been revoked. They must be told in writing. Once notified, they have no further authority to act under the LPA.
If the LPA has been registered with the OPG, you must notify them using form LP5 (Revoke a lasting power of attorney). The OPG will cancel the registration and update their records.
Retrieve the original registered LPA document from the attorney and destroy it. This prevents it from being used after revocation. The OPG will also note the cancellation on their register.
Important: The LPA is revoked as soon as the deed of revocation is signed and the attorney notified — even before the OPG is informed. However, you must still notify the OPG to cancel the registration and prevent the document from being used.
Common Reasons
You want to appoint a different person as your attorney — perhaps because your relationship has changed or you have more confidence in someone else.
You have separated from a spouse or partner who was named as attorney, or a family relationship has broken down.
You have concerns about how the attorney has been acting, or you no longer trust them to act in your best interests.
You want to make a new LPA with updated terms, conditions or replacement attorneys — the old LPA must be revoked first.
You want to add a new attorney or remove one of several attorneys. This requires revoking the existing LPA and making a new one.
A third party (such as a bank or care provider) has raised concerns about the attorney's conduct, and you wish to remove their authority.
Registered vs Unregistered
If the LPA has not yet been registered with the OPG, revocation is simpler. You sign a deed of revocation, notify the attorney, and destroy the original document. There is no need to contact the OPG.
Note: An unregistered LPA cannot be used — so if it has never been registered, the attorney has no current authority anyway.
If the LPA is registered, you must notify the OPG using form LP5 and return the original registered document. The OPG will cancel the registration and update the public register.
You should also notify any banks, financial institutions or care providers who hold a copy of the LPA.
Common Questions
Yes — you can revoke an LPA at any time, provided you still have mental capacity. You do not need a reason, and you do not need the attorney's consent. If you have lost mental capacity, you cannot revoke the LPA yourself — an application to the Court of Protection would be required.
To revoke a registered LPA, you must: (1) sign a deed of revocation witnessed by an independent adult; (2) notify the attorney(s) in writing; (3) complete form LP5 and send it to the Office of the Public Guardian; and (4) retrieve and destroy the original LPA document. A solicitor can prepare the deed of revocation and handle the OPG notification for you.
A deed of revocation is a formal written document signed by the donor (the person who made the LPA) stating that they are revoking the LPA. It must be signed in the presence of a witness who is not the attorney being removed. Once signed and the attorney notified, the LPA is revoked — even if the OPG has not yet been informed.
Form LP5 is the official Office of the Public Guardian form used to notify the OPG that a registered LPA has been revoked. You must send the completed form to the OPG along with the original registered LPA document. The OPG will then cancel the registration.
Yes. Registration does not prevent revocation. You must notify the OPG using form LP5 and return the original registered document. The OPG will cancel the registration and update their records. Until the OPG is notified, the attorney may not be aware the LPA has been revoked — so it is important to notify them promptly.
Once an LPA is revoked and the attorney has been notified, they have no further legal authority to act. If they continue to use the LPA, they are acting without authority — which may constitute fraud or theft. Banks and financial institutions should be notified of the revocation so they can update their records.
You cannot partially revoke an LPA to remove one attorney from a joint appointment — you must revoke the entire LPA and make a new one. However, if attorneys were appointed jointly and severally (meaning each can act independently), the death or removal of one attorney does not automatically end the LPA for the others, depending on the terms.
No — only the donor can revoke their own LPA, and only while they have mental capacity. If the donor has lost capacity, the LPA cannot be revoked by the donor. A family member or other concerned party would need to apply to the Court of Protection to have the LPA cancelled or the attorney removed.
You are not legally required to use a solicitor to revoke an LPA, but it is strongly recommended. A solicitor can prepare the deed of revocation correctly, ensure the process is properly documented, handle the OPG notification, and advise on making a new LPA if needed. Errors in the revocation process can leave the old LPA technically in force.
Our Chester-based LPA solicitors can prepare a deed of revocation, handle the OPG notification, and help you make a new LPA if needed — all in one straightforward process.
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