# What is the difference between an LPA and a deputyship?

> Source: https://purewill.co.uk/faqs/lpa-vs-deputyship (updated 25 October 2026)

**Short answer:** An LPA is made in advance by you, choosing your own attorneys for £92. A deputyship is imposed by a court after capacity is lost, and costs far more.

Timing and control. An LPA is made in advance, while you have mental capacity, and you choose who acts for you. A deputyship happens after capacity is lost, when it is too late for an LPA: someone applies to the Court of Protection to be appointed your deputy, and the court decides who.

The practical differences are stark. An LPA costs £92 per document to register and takes about two months. A deputyship application costs £432, needs a formal capacity assessment, typically takes four to six months, and then carries annual supervision fees, an insurance bond, and yearly reporting to the court for as long as it lasts. Health and welfare deputyships are granted only rarely, so the medical authority an LPA gives may simply never be available. Every deputyship is the story of an LPA that was not made in time.

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PureWill is run by Nanoswift Ltd, registered in England and Wales (company number 16216561), ICO registration ZB874287. Payments by Stripe. Write a will: https://purewill.co.uk/start · Set up an LPA: https://purewill.co.uk/power-of-attorney