No. Your enquiry is only shared with a small number of relevant solicitors who match the type of legal help you need. It is not sent out to a large open directory of firms, so you stay in control from the start.

You can receive up to 4 focused quotes, giving you enough choice to compare prices, service, and experience without feeling buried under calls or messages from firms that are not suitable.

You can also choose how you prefer to be contacted. If you would rather compare everything quietly, you can select email-first and review the responses in your own time.

A solicitor may ask a short follow-up question if they need more detail before confirming a quote, especially where the matter is complex or time-sensitive. You are not obliged to proceed unless you are happy with their price, approach, and experience.

If a firm is not right for you, you can simply decline further contact and continue comparing the other quotes you have received.

The quotes are based on the details you provide, such as the type of legal matter, your location, the level of support you need, and any important information about your circumstances.

This gives solicitors useful context before they respond, so the quote you receive should be more relevant than a generic estimate or broad starting price.

In some cases, a solicitor may need to ask for extra information before confirming the final cost. This is common where a matter is more complex, urgent, or depends on documents that have not yet been reviewed.

Where possible, firms should explain what is included in their quote, whether the fee is fixed or estimated, and whether any third-party costs may apply.

This helps you compare your options more clearly, understand what you are paying for, and choose a solicitor based on value, experience, communication style, and overall fit.

Yes. The comparison service is free to use. There are no sign-up fees, subscription charges, hidden admin costs, or payment details required to request quotes.

You can submit your enquiry, receive solicitor responses, compare your options, and decide whether any of the firms feel right for you without paying anything to use the service.

There is also no obligation to instruct a solicitor. If none of the quotes suit your budget, timescale, or preferences, you can simply choose not to proceed.

You only discuss legal fees if you decide to work with a solicitor. Before you instruct them, the firm should explain their pricing, what is included, and whether any additional costs may apply.

The aim is to make it easier to compare legal support upfront, so you can feel more confident before choosing who to contact or instruct.

A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint one or more trusted people to make decisions or take actions on your behalf. The person making the document is usually called the donor, and the person appointed to help is called the attorney. Depending on the type of Power of Attorney you choose, your attorney may be able to help with money, property, health, welfare, or care decisions.

Putting a Power of Attorney in place gives you more control over what happens if you are later unable to make certain decisions yourself. Rather than leaving family members to apply to the court or face delays, you can choose in advance who should act for you and what powers they should have.

Many people think Power of Attorney is only for later life, but it can be useful at any age. It may help if you become seriously ill, have an accident, travel abroad for a long period, or simply want someone you trust to help manage practical matters.

There are two main types of Power of Attorney commonly used in England and Wales: Lasting Power of Attorney and Ordinary Power of Attorney. A Lasting Power of Attorney, often called an LPA, is usually used for long-term planning because it can continue if you lose mental capacity. An Ordinary Power of Attorney is usually used for temporary or specific situations while you still have mental capacity.

There are also two types of Lasting Power of Attorney. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows your attorney to help with money and property matters, such as paying bills, managing bank accounts, collecting pensions, dealing with investments, or selling a home. A Health and Welfare LPA allows your attorney to make decisions about care, medical treatment, daily routine, and where you live if you can no longer make those decisions yourself.

An Ordinary Power of Attorney may be suitable if you only need help for a short time, for example while you are abroad, in hospital, or unable to visit a bank. It does not continue if you lose mental capacity, so it is not a substitute for a Lasting Power of Attorney.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more attorneys to make decisions for you. It is designed to protect you if you later lose mental capacity because of illness, injury, dementia, or another condition that affects your ability to make decisions.

You can make one type of LPA or both. A Property and Financial Affairs LPA covers financial and property matters. A Health and Welfare LPA covers care, medical treatment, and personal welfare decisions. A Health and Welfare LPA can only be used when you are unable to make your own decisions, while a Property and Financial Affairs LPA can be used as soon as it is registered, with your permission.

An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used. This registration step is important because it makes the document legally effective and gives banks, care providers, medical professionals, and other organisations confidence that your attorney has proper authority.

A Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows your attorney to deal with financial matters. This can include managing bank accounts, paying household bills, collecting benefits or pensions, dealing with tax, maintaining property, arranging repairs, managing investments, or selling your home if necessary.

A Health and Welfare LPA allows your attorney to make decisions about your personal welfare if you lose mental capacity. This can include decisions about your daily routine, care arrangements, medical treatment, moving into a care home, and life-sustaining treatment.

The two documents do different jobs, so having one does not automatically cover the other. For example, someone with authority over your finances may not be able to make medical care decisions for you unless they are also appointed under a Health and Welfare LPA.

It is usually best to set up a Power of Attorney before you urgently need one. You can only make a Lasting Power of Attorney while you still have mental capacity, which means you must understand the decision you are making and the authority you are giving to your attorney.

If you leave it too late and lose mental capacity before an LPA is in place, your family may not automatically be able to manage your finances or make important decisions for you. They may need to apply to the Court of Protection to become a deputy, which can take longer and may be more expensive and stressful.

Making an LPA early does not mean giving up control. You choose who your attorneys are, what powers they have, and whether your Property and Financial Affairs LPA can be used straight away or only if you lose capacity. Your Health and Welfare LPA can only be used if you are unable to make those decisions yourself.

Your attorney should be someone you trust completely. They may need to make serious decisions about your money, property, care, or medical treatment, so it is important to choose someone who will act in your best interests and respect your wishes.

Many people choose a spouse, partner, adult child, close friend, sibling, or professional adviser. You can appoint more than one attorney, and you can decide whether they must act together, separately, or together for some decisions and separately for others.

It is also sensible to think about practical issues. Your attorney should be willing to take on the role, organised enough to manage paperwork, and able to communicate with banks, care providers, doctors, solicitors, or family members if needed. You can also appoint replacement attorneys in case your first choice cannot act in the future.

Couples often arrange Power of Attorney at the same time, especially when planning for later life, retirement, property ownership, or family care. However, each person needs their own LPA documents. You cannot create one joint LPA that covers both people.

Even if you are married or in a civil partnership, your partner does not automatically have legal authority to manage your bank accounts, sell your property, or make health and welfare decisions for you if you lose mental capacity. A properly registered LPA gives them clear legal authority to act.

Couples often choose to appoint each other as attorneys, with children or other trusted people as replacement attorneys. This can create a practical safety net if one partner becomes unable to make decisions or if both partners need support later on.

To set up a Lasting Power of Attorney, you need to decide which type of LPA you want, choose your attorney or attorneys, complete the correct forms, sign them in the correct order, and register the LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian.

The signing process is important. The donor, certificate provider, attorneys, replacement attorneys, and witnesses must complete the right sections correctly. Mistakes can cause the application to be rejected or delayed, which can be particularly difficult if the LPA is needed urgently.

You do not have to use a solicitor, but many people choose professional help to make sure the forms are completed properly and reflect their wishes. This can be especially useful if you have complex family circumstances, business interests, overseas assets, property concerns, or specific instructions you want included.

The Office of the Public Guardian registration fee is currently £92 per LPA application. If you make both a Property and Financial Affairs LPA and a Health and Welfare LPA, the registration fees are paid separately. This means registering both types would usually cost £184 in OPG fees before any professional fees.

Some people may qualify for a reduced fee or no fee. A remission can reduce the fee by 50%, while an exemption may mean no fee is payable, depending on the donor’s financial circumstances and qualifying benefits.

If you use a solicitor or legal professional, their fees will be separate from the OPG registration fee. The total cost will depend on whether you are making one LPA or two, whether you are applying as an individual or couple, and how much advice or drafting support you need.

You can make a Lasting Power of Attorney yourself using the official online service or paper forms. You do not need a lawyer to make an LPA unless you have unusual or specific requirements.

However, the forms must be completed carefully. Problems such as missing information, incorrect names, unclear instructions, signing in the wrong order, or using unsuitable wording can lead to delays or rejection. If the document is rejected, you may need to correct and resubmit it, which can slow everything down.

A solicitor or legal professional can help you choose the right type of LPA, explain your options, draft instructions, check that everyone signs correctly, and make sure the application is ready for registration. This can be particularly valuable where family relationships are complicated or where there may be disagreements later.

Once a Lasting Power of Attorney has been registered, you cannot usually make simple edits in the way you might update an ordinary document. If you want to change your attorneys, alter their powers, add new instructions, or make other important changes, you may need to cancel the existing LPA and create a new one.

You can cancel your LPA if you still have mental capacity. This may be appropriate if you no longer need it, want to appoint different attorneys, or want to replace it with a new document.

Because changing an LPA can affect your future protection, it is sensible to get advice before cancelling one. You should make sure any replacement document is valid, registered, and ready to use before relying on it.

Your LPA should include who you want to appoint as your attorney or attorneys, whether you want replacement attorneys, and how your attorneys should make decisions. You may also be able to include preferences and instructions, depending on the type of LPA and your circumstances.

For a Property and Financial Affairs LPA, you might think about whether your attorneys can act as soon as the LPA is registered or only if you lose mental capacity. You may also want to include guidance about property, investments, gifts, bills, or support for dependants.

For a Health and Welfare LPA, you should consider your wishes about care, medical treatment, where you live, your daily routine, and life-sustaining treatment. The wording matters because unclear or unworkable instructions can cause problems when the LPA is needed.