Who Can Be a Certificate Provider for an LPA?

What the certificate provider does

Every LPA needs one. The certificate provider signs to confirm two things: that the donor understands what the LPA does, and that nobody is pressuring them into it. They should talk to the donor privately, without the attorneys in the room, before signing. It is a safeguard, and the OPG takes it seriously.

It is also the part of the form people most often get wrong, because the eligibility rules are stricter than they look.

Who qualifies

There are two routes.

Someone who has known the donor personally for at least two years. A friend, a neighbour, a colleague or former colleague. "Personally" means they actually know the donor, not that they have been on the same street's residents list for two years.

Or someone with relevant professional skills. The donor's GP, another healthcare professional, or a solicitor. Professionals may charge for this; GPs quite often do.

For most people, a long-standing friend or neighbour is the simplest choice and costs nothing.

Who cannot do it

This list catches people out. The certificate provider must not be:

• an attorney or replacement attorney on this LPA, or on any other LPA or enduring power of attorney the donor has made
• a member of the donor's family, or of any attorney's family, including husbands, wives, civil partners, in-laws and step-relatives
• an unmarried partner, boyfriend or girlfriend of the donor or of any attorney, whether or not they live together
• the donor's or an attorney's business partner or employee
• anyone who owns, runs, or works at a care home where the donor lives

That last one matters for families arranging an LPA for a parent in residential care. The friendly manager cannot sign, however well they know the donor.

When they sign

Order matters. The donor signs first, then the certificate provider, then the attorneys. The certificate provider's date must be the same day as the donor's or later, never earlier. Get the order wrong and the OPG will reject the application, which is one of the traps we cover in why LPAs get rejected.

With PureWill

Our LPA service asks about your certificate provider up front, checks they are not one of your attorneys, and prints their statement onto the official form with a plain-English explanation of who qualifies. The signing walkthrough tells everyone the order. If you are still choosing attorneys, start with what an LPA is.