Quick answers
Short, honest answers to what families ask us most. Each one links to the full guide if you want the complete picture. This page is a starting point, not a replacement for reading the stage that applies to you.
No. You can complete and register it yourself through GOV.UK for the standard fee. A solicitor helps with more complex situations, but it isn't a legal requirement.
Read the full LPA guide →A Property & Financial Affairs LPA can be used as soon as it's registered. A Health & Welfare LPA only comes into effect once capacity is lost.
Read the full LPA guide →The family would need to apply to the Court of Protection to become a Deputy. A longer, more expensive process, with the court deciding who's appointed.
Read the full LPA guide →The GOV.UK registration fee is £92 per LPA if you do it yourself. Going through a solicitor typically adds £300–£500 on top of that fee, for help ensuring everything's completed correctly.
Read the full LPA guide →It's never too early. LPAs and Wills both depend on mental capacity at the time of signing, so waiting for a diagnosis can mean waiting too long.
Read the full Planning Ahead stage →A Will only takes effect after death. An LPA takes effect while someone is alive but has lost the ability to make decisions themselves. Most families need both.
Read the full Planning Ahead stage →This is genuinely common. Smaller, low-pressure moments tend to work better than one big conversation, revisited gently rather than dropped after one difficult attempt.
Read the full Planning Ahead stage →In England, savings and assets above £23,250 mean you pay the full cost. Below £14,250, only income is assessed. Scotland and Wales use different thresholds.
Read the full Care Home & Funding stage →Not necessarily. Options include renting the property out, a deferred payment scheme, or equity release. Each worth discussing with an adviser first.
Read the full Care Home & Funding stage →No, not automatically. Family members aren't legally liable unless they've personally signed an agreement to pay, such as a third-party top-up.
Read the full Care Home & Funding stage →No. It depends on the size of the estate and how assets are held. Jointly owned property and bank accounts often pass automatically, and many banks release small balances without it.
Read the full probate guide →The HMCTS fee is £526 for estates over £5,000, as of 13 July 2026, up from £300. Estates of £5,000 or less pay nothing.
Read the full probate guide →No. You can apply yourself through GOV.UK using form PA1P (with a will) or PA1A (without one). Many executors handle straightforward estates themselves.
Read the full probate guide →You don’t have to navigate it alone.
The Care Compass