Revoking a Lasting Power of Attorney UK (2026): How to Cancel an LPA

Yes. A donor (the person who made the LPA) can revoke a lasting power of attorney at any time, including after registration, as long as they have mental capacity to do so. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides that a donor who has capacity can revoke an LPA at any time — registration does not remove this right. However, to be effective, the revocation must be communicated to the attorney and, where the LPA is registered, notified to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) so the registered instrument is cancelled. An attorney who continues to act under a revoked LPA after being informed of the revocation may be committing an offence.

The process involves three steps: (1) The donor executes a written deed of revocation — a simple signed and witnessed document stating clearly that the LPA is revoked. There is no prescribed form, but it must be in writing, signed by the donor, and witnessed by at least one independent adult. (2) The donor (or their solicitor) notifies the attorney(s) in writing that the LPA has been revoked. If the attorney has already been using the LPA — dealing with the donor's bank, HMRC, or property — each institution must also be formally notified. (3) The OPG must be notified so the registration is cancelled and the LPA marked as revoked on the register. The OPG's current process requires the original registered LPA document to be returned to them, together with the executed deed of revocation. Cancellation can be requested via the OPG's online portal or by post.

If the original registered LPA document has been lost, contact the OPG directly. They retain a record of all registered LPAs and can advise on the steps to cancel the registration without the original document. In practice, the OPG will usually require a statutory declaration confirming the document is lost, together with the deed of revocation. The revocation is still valid even if the physical document cannot be produced — what matters is that the deed of revocation is properly executed and the attorney is notified.

If an LPA has been made but not yet registered with the OPG, revocation is simpler. The donor executes a written deed of revocation and notifies the named attorney(s). Because there is no registration to cancel, the OPG does not need to be involved. However, the donor should ensure all original copies of the unregistered LPA document are retrieved from the attorney, any certificate provider, and any copies held by third parties such as solicitors, and destroyed. An unregistered LPA has no legal force in any event (it cannot be used until registered), but destroying the copies and notifying the attorney removes any risk of the attorney attempting to use it later.

This depends on the structure of the LPA. If the LPA appoints attorneys to act 'jointly and severally' (each able to act independently), and you want to remove one attorney while keeping the others, you must revoke the entire LPA and make a new one with just the remaining attorney(s) named. You cannot partially revoke a jointly and severally appointed LPA to remove one name while leaving the rest intact — the deed would need to replace it entirely. If the LPA appoints attorneys to act 'jointly' (all must act together), removing one attorney means the others lose their authority under that instrument, and again a new LPA must be made. In either case, if you want to change the composition of your attorneys, revoking and replacing the LPA is the standard approach.

Once a donor loses mental capacity, they can no longer revoke the LPA. At that point, control over the LPA shifts to the Court of Protection, which has the power to revoke an LPA under section 22 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 — but only in specific circumstances, primarily where the attorney has behaved fraudulently, has acted contrary to the donor's best interests, or where the LPA was not validly created. The OPG investigates complaints about attorneys and can apply to the court for revocation on the donor's behalf. This is a more difficult and slower process than the donor revoking the LPA themselves, which is why the timing of any revocation decision is important: acting while capacity is intact gives the donor the most straightforward route.

No. Revoking an LPA simply cancels the existing instrument. If you want someone to continue managing your affairs under a lasting power of attorney — perhaps a new attorney, or with different conditions — you must create and register a fresh LPA. The registration process typically takes 20 weeks through the OPG (the backlog has varied significantly in recent years). During the registration gap, no one has formal authority to manage your property and financial affairs or health and welfare under an LPA, so timing is important: revoke the old LPA and register the new one without leaving a gap where possible.

If you still have capacity and believe your attorney is acting improperly, the most direct step is to revoke the LPA as described above — this immediately removes the attorney's authority. At the same time, you should report the matter to the OPG (who investigates attorney misconduct) and, if financial abuse is suspected, to the police and potentially Action Fraud. If you have already lost capacity and someone is concerned on your behalf, they can make a safeguarding referral to the local authority's adult safeguarding team and report concerns to the OPG. The OPG can investigate and apply to the Court of Protection to suspend or revoke the LPA. See also our guide on power of attorney financial abuse.