You will accomplish
- Determine whether to apply for LPA Form 1 or LPA Form 2
- Make an Lasting Power of Attorney
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What is a Lasting Power of Attorney?
While Deputyship is for people without mental capacity, a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document allowing a person with mental capacity ('Donor'), aged at least 21, to appoint one or more individuals ('Donee(s)') to make decisions on their behalf in case of mental incapacity.
Donees can act in personal welfare and property & affairs matters. A LPA empowers individuals to choose a trusted decision maker, ensuring someone reliable and competent acts in their best interests if mental capacity is lost.
Take Action
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Consider your donees
Choose up to 2 trusted donees, along with a replacement donee, ensuring they are individuals aged 21 and above, capable of making decisions in your best interest as if you had mental capacity.
Decide whether to grant powers for managing Personal Welfare and/or Property and Affairs matters. Decide if donees should act jointly, or jointly & severally in some or all matters.
- Jointly - donees have to act together, cannot act separately
- Jointly & severally - donees can make decisions together or separately
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Discuss with potential donees
Speak to your potential donee if he/she consents to be your donee.
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Choose from LPA Form 1 or Form 2
Choose between LPA Form 1 and Form 2 based on your needs.
- Form 1 grants general powers with basic restrictions
- Form 2 grants customised powers with clauses drafted by a lawyer
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Apply for a LPA
LPA Form 1 can be made via Office of Public Guardian Online (OPGO) system. You will need to have a SingPass to access OPGO.
Your donees can sign in to OPGO via their SingPass to accept their appointment.
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Visit a LPA Certificate issuer
Visit a certificate issuer to certify your LPA. The Certificate issuer will sign in to OPGO with his/her singpass and sign digitally, submitting the LPA to OPGO immediately for registration.
Resources
FAQ
The Donee has to be above 21 years old, with adequate mental capacity and cannot be a bankrupt (for Property and Affairs matter).
The LPA is only valid when the donor is alive but has lost mental capacity. To activate the LPA, the donor must be brought to a registered doctor to certify the condition of the donor's mental health. The registered doctor will fill in the medical report.
While a donee can manage the financial matters of the donor while donor is alive, the donee cannot handle matters of estate distribution after the donor's demise unless they are the executor. LPA can go hand in hand with making a will, to allow for continuity of a person's wish regardless of his/her mental capacity and at death.
Yes. The donee and executor can be the same person. Donee makes decisions for donor when doner is still alive but has lost mental capacity while executor's power commences after the demise of the testator (person who makes a will).
The OPG has extended the LPA Form 1 application fee waiver for Singapore citizens to 31 March 2026. Nonetheless, applicants are required to pay a fee to engage a LPA Certificate Issuer to witness and certify their applications.
A LPA Certificate Issuer is a professional who can witness and certify your application at a fee. They can be a medical practitioner accredited by the Public Guardian, a practising lawyer, or a registered psychiatrist.
The fees charged depends on the complexity of the case. As at Jul 2021, the majority of the top 10 most visited accredited medical practitioners charged $50 or less.
A LPA can only be made by a person with mental capacity. Parents of children with intellectual disability may apply to the Court to be appointed as deputies for their children who have turned 21 years old.
Donor can revoke his/her LPA as long as he/she still has mental capacity. The Donor has to inform the done and Office of Public Guardian of the revocation. To revoke the LPA, the donor must have the revocation form, the original LPA and pay a cancellation fee of $30 (as of Jan 2024).