Why might I use a General Power of Attorney?

Last verified: September 2026 (England and Wales) 

Help with practical matters while you remain in control

 If you are abroad, in hospital or temporarily unavailable, you may need someone you trust to deal with money or property on your behalf. A General Power of Attorney (GPA), also called an Ordinary Power of Attorney (OPA), can give them that authority while you still have mental capacity. 

You are the donor. The person you appoint is your attorney. A GPA does not need registration with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), but it must be properly prepared and signed as a deed. Banks and other organisations still need to check the document and the attorney’s identity before allowing access. 

A GPA cannot authorise health and welfare decisions. It also stops being usable if you lose mental capacity, so it does not replace planning for that possibility with a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). 

When might a GPA help?

• You are working or living abroad and need someone to manage property or financial matters in England and Wales.
• A trusted person needs authority for a particular transaction, such as a car or property sale.
• You are travelling or in hospital and want help with immediate financial administration.
• You need financial help while an LPA is being prepared or registered, and you still have capacity.

 The document should match the job. Discuss who should act, which matters they may handle, any restrictions and whether an end date is appropriate. If more than one attorney is needed, their authority to act together or separately should be clear. 

How does a GPA compare with an LPA?

 The main questions are what decisions need to be made and whether the authority must continue if you lose capacity. 

General Power of Attorney

 A GPA covers property and financial matters within its terms. There is no OPG registration stage, but the authority depends on you retaining capacity. It is often useful for a temporary absence or a specific task. 

Property and Financial Affairs LPA

 This can cover matters such as bills, bank accounts and property. It must be registered with the OPG before use. Depending on its terms, it can be used with your permission while you have capacity and can continue if you later lose capacity. 

Health and Welfare LPA

 This concerns matters such as care, treatment and where you live. It must be registered and can only be used when you cannot make the particular decision yourself. Authority over life-sustaining treatment depends on the choice you make in the LPA. 

A GPA and an LPA can work alongside each other. However, if capacity is lost before the LPA is registered and ready to use, the GPA cannot fill that gap. Start longer-term planning early. Our Lasting Power of Attorney service explains the support available. 

Will organisations accept the document?

Check the receiving organisation’s requirements before relying on a GPA for an urgent transaction. It may need the original or an appropriately certified copy, identity evidence and confirmation that the power is still in force. A signed document does not guarantee immediate access to an account or completion of a sale. 

Fern can prepare a practical covering note explaining the GPA’s purpose and limits. A note does not extend the authority granted by the document or require an organisation to accept it. 

For use overseas, check the requirements of the receiving organisation and local law first. Notarisation, an apostille, translation or local advice may be needed. An apostille authenticates a signature, stamp or seal; it does not guarantee that the GPA will be accepted for the proposed transaction. Fern can signpost the appropriate professional route. 

Fees

 For current fees, please see Services & Fees. 

How this works in real life

These examples from Fern’s work show different reasons for discussing a GPA. The document and any receiving organisation’s requirements must fit the individual circumstances. 

Selling a vehicle in the US

A client had returned to the UK but still owned a car in America. A GPA helped his relative deal with the sale without the client flying back, subject to the relevant local requirements being met. 

Managing property from Dubai

A landlord who spent long periods working in Dubai gave his sons a GPA to manage and, if needed, sell properties in his absence. A property transaction still needs the conveyancer to check the authority and ownership arrangements. 

Supporting someone with early dementia

A client diagnosed with early-onset dementia still had capacity to make the relevant arrangements. A GPA provided short-term financial authority while an LPA was prepared and registered. A dementia diagnosis does not, by itself, determine capacity: the particular decision and the person’s ability at that time matter. 

An urgent hospital update

Alongside an urgent Will update for a client in hospital, Fern prepared a GPA so a trusted relative could handle immediate financial affairs. The GPA did not authorise the relative to make the client’s Will or decide their medical treatment. 

Helping with business negotiations

 In a family-company dispute between two director-siblings, a time-limited GPA was used for their accountant to assist with certain negotiations. A personal GPA does not automatically delegate a director’s role or confer authority over company assets. Business arrangements need separate checks against the company’s rules and the authority required.

Does a GPA expire after 12 months?

Not automatically. Its duration depends on its wording and whether it remains legally effective. It may end on a stated date or when revoked, and it ends on the donor’s death or loss of capacity. Bankruptcy can also end an ordinary GPA. Different rules apply to some specialist powers, including powers delegating trustee functions. 

Can I cancel a GPA or change its terms?

While you have capacity, you can revoke an ordinary GPA. Get help with the appropriate revocation and notify the attorney and organisations relying on it. Do not simply alter a signed document. A change of attorney or authority will usually call for revoking the old power and preparing a new one. 

Can I make a GPA if I already have an LPA?

Potentially, but first check whether your registered Property and Financial Affairs LPA already permits the help you need. A separate GPA may be unnecessary. If both documents will be used, their roles and limits should be clear to the people involved. 

What if I have an older Enduring Power of Attorney?

A valid Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) made before 1 October 2007 may still provide financial authority. It has its own registration rules when capacity is being lost. Have it checked before replacing or relying on it. An EPA is different from a GPA, and new EPAs can no longer be made. 

Related help

If an LPA is already registered, see our guide to using a registered LPA. Our separate guide to gifts by LPA attorneys explains the limits in that context; do not assume those rules describe the authority under a GPA. 

Discuss what you need someone to do

Tell us what needs handling, who you would like to help, any deadline, and whether you already have a power of attorney. We can discuss whether a GPA is appropriate and how it fits with your longer-term planning.

For a clear, no-obligation conversation, contact Fern Wills & LPAs. 

This article provides general information for England and Wales. The right arrangements depend on your circumstances, the document’s terms and the requirements of the organisations involved.