Rejection
Common reasons an LPA is rejected
Reviewed 3 November 2026 · England and Wales
In short
Most LPAs are rejected for small, avoidable errors rather than anything serious. The common reasons are signing in the wrong order or with dates out of sequence, missing signatures or dates, an ineligible certificate provider or witness, blank or contradictory sections, and attorney instructions that are not legally allowed. A careful check before signing prevents almost all of them.
The Office of the Public Guardian rejected roughly 133,000 LPAs in 2024, around 1 in 11, and the number has risen sharply as more people apply. The reassuring part is that almost every rejection is for a fixable, avoidable mistake.
The most common rejection reasons
- Signing in the wrong order: the donor, certificate provider and attorneys must sign in sequence, and the dates must not be out of order. This is the single most common cause.
- Missing a signature or date: one blank box on a continuation sheet or signature panel is enough.
- An ineligible certificate provider: they must be independent, not a family member and not an attorney, and must have known the donor for at least two years or have relevant professional skills.
- Witness problems: an attorney's signature must be witnessed, and a witness cannot be the donor.
- Contradictory or disallowed instructions: instructions to attorneys that the law does not permit, or preferences written as binding instructions.
- Names that do not match: the donor's or attorneys' names written differently in different places.
Why the signing order trips people up
An LPA is only valid if it is signed in the right order: the donor first, then the certificate provider, then the attorneys, each on the same day or later than the one before, never earlier. People often sign whenever is convenient, which puts the dates out of sequence and fails the LPA.
If an LPA is rejected you usually have to correct it and apply again, and in many cases pay the £92 fee a second time. That is why checking before you sign matters so much.
How to avoid a rejection
The reliable way to avoid a rejection is to have the completed LPA checked against the OPG's criteria before anyone signs, and to follow a clear signing-order checklist on the day.
LPASafe's Done-For-You service is built around exactly this: we complete the official form correctly from your answers, following the OPG's rejection criteria, and give you a step-by-step signing order. If the OPG rejects your LPA because of a mistake in how we prepared the form, we correct it and cover the £92 to resubmit.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if my LPA is rejected?
The OPG tells you what is wrong. You usually have to correct the form or re-sign it and apply again, and you may have to pay the £92 fee a second time. It also restarts the registration wait.
What is the most common reason LPAs are rejected?
Signing in the wrong order, or with the dates out of sequence. The donor must sign before the certificate provider, who must sign before the attorneys.
Can a rejected LPA be fixed?
Usually yes. Most rejections are for errors that can be corrected on a fresh form. The cost is the lost time and often a second £92 fee, which is why checking before signing is worth it.
Does LPASafe guarantee my LPA will be registered?
No service can guarantee that: the OPG decides. Our promise is that we complete your LPA correctly from your answers, following the rejection criteria, and if the OPG rejects it because of a mistake in how we prepared the form, we correct it and cover the £92 to resubmit.
Related resources
The correct order to sign an LPA
Signing an LPA in the wrong order is the top reason it gets rejected. The correct order to sign a lasting power of attorney, and why the dates matter.
How to set up a lasting power of attorney
A step-by-step guide to making and registering a lasting power of attorney in England and Wales, from choosing attorneys to signing and OPG registration.
Do I need a solicitor to make an LPA?
You do not need a solicitor to make a lasting power of attorney. A DIY or online LPA is just as legally valid once registered. Here is when a solicitor helps.
What is a lasting power of attorney?
A plain-English guide to lasting power of attorney in England and Wales: the two types, how an LPA works, who is involved and how to set one up.
LPASafe covers England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different systems. We are not a law firm and do not give legal advice. The LP1F and LP1H forms are available free on gov.uk.
Ready when you are
Do not pay twice for a rejection
We complete your LPA correctly from your answers, following every OPG rejection reason, and give you a clear signing order for the day.