Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Singapore — Cost, Process, Forms 1 & 2

1. What is an LPA?

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a Singapore legal document created under the Mental Capacity Act 2008 (Cap. 177A). It allows you (the donor) to nominate one or more donees aged 21+ to make decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity due to dementia, stroke, traumatic injury or other illness.

Key facts:

• Donor must have mental capacity at the time the LPA is made.
• Donee must be 21 or older; cannot be a bankrupt (for Property & Affairs); cannot be your paid care provider (for Personal Welfare).
• Registration at the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), part of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).
• Takes effect only when you lose mental capacity, certified by two registered medical practitioners.
• Revocable at any time while you still have capacity.

2. Two donee categories

An LPA covers two distinct categories of decisions. You can appoint the same donee for both, or different donees for each:

• Personal Welfare — decisions about where you live, day-to-day care, medical treatment, contact with others.
• Property & Affairs — decisions about your bank accounts, paying bills, buying or selling property, managing investments.

3. LPA Form 1 vs LPA Form 2

OPG publishes two LPA forms:

• LPA Form 1 (Standard) — pre-set donee powers, fixed scope, faster and cheaper. Suitable for most people. OPG registration fee S$75 for Singapore Citizens. Can be certified by an accredited general practitioner (~S$25).
• LPA Form 2 (Customised) — allows you to customise donee powers, add restrictions (e.g. "donee may not sell my HDB"), or include conditions. Must be drafted by a Singapore-admitted lawyer. Typical total cost S$200–S$500.

4. Cost breakdown (2026)

Indicative SG market ranges, 2026. Verify with provider before engaging.

5. Donee selection rules

Hard rules from the Mental Capacity Act + OPG:

• Donee must be 21 or older.
• For Property & Affairs: donee cannot be an undischarged bankrupt.
• For Personal Welfare: donee cannot be the donor's paid care provider.
• You can appoint multiple donees acting jointly (all must agree on every decision) or jointly and severally (any one donee can act).
• You can appoint replacement donees — backups if a primary donee dies or refuses to act.
• You can appoint different donees for Personal Welfare vs Property & Affairs.

6. The LPA process — step by step

1. Choose your donee(s). Trusted, available, willing to act, 21+.
2. Complete the form. Form 1 online via the OPG portal, or Form 2 via a lawyer.
3. Certificate Issuer certification. A lawyer, accredited doctor, or registered psychiatrist meets you (without donees present), explains the LPA, confirms you understand it and are not under undue influence, and certifies your mental capacity.
4. Submit to OPG. Online via the OPG portal or via your lawyer.
5. OPG processing. Typically 3–6 weeks. LPA only valid once registered.
6. Store + inform. Tell your donee(s) the LPA exists, where it's stored, and how to access it.

7. When the LPA takes effect

The LPA is dormant until two registered medical practitioners certify that you have lost mental capacity. Until then, you retain full decision-making power. If you never lose capacity, the LPA is never used — there is no downside to having one.

8. What happens without an LPA

If you lose mental capacity without an LPA, your family cannot automatically manage your affairs — banks freeze accounts, healthcare decisions require court orders, and property cannot be sold. The remedy is to apply to the Family Justice Courts for a Deputyship Order under the Mental Capacity Act.

Indicative deputyship cost and timeline: S$5,000–S$15,000 in legal fees, 6–12 months from application to grant, with mandatory annual reporting to OPG thereafter. An LPA avoids all of this for under S$200 total in most cases.

9. LPA vs CPF Nomination

Common confusion: an LPA does NOT govern your CPF moneys. CPF balances (Ordinary Account, Special Account, MediSave, Retirement Account, CPFIS holdings) pass per your CPF Nomination — a separate document made directly with the CPF Board. Without a CPF Nomination, your CPF moneys go to the Public Trustee for distribution under the Intestate Succession Act (or Faraid for Muslims) — and incur a 0.5% admin fee on amounts above S$1,000 (capped at S$5,000).

You need both: an LPA for in-life decisions, and a CPF Nomination for CPF on death.

10. LPA vs Advance Medical Directive (AMD)

An Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a separate document under the Advance Medical Directive Act. It records your wish NOT to receive extraordinary life-sustaining treatment if you are terminally ill and unconscious. An LPA donee can make medical-treatment decisions, but an AMD speaks directly to your end-of-life wishes — it's a complementary document, not a substitute.

11. Frequently asked questions

12. Sources

Every fact on this page traces to a public Singapore regulator or statute:

• Office of the Public Guardian (OPG, MSF) — LPA fees, Form 1 and Form 2 process, donee selection rules, certificate issuer requirements
• Mental Capacity Act 2008 (Cap. 177A) — statutory basis for LPA + Deputyship
• Family Justice Courts — Deputyship Order process and Probate Registry
• CPF Board — CPF Nomination process (LPA does not govern CPF)
• Full reference list: /sources