Your attorney(s) can use a registered LPA for financial decisions either before you lose mental capacity (with your agreement) or afterwards. Your attorney(s) can only use a registered LPA for health and welfare after you have lost mental capacity.
When your attorney(s) start using the LPA, you or they may need to provide evidence of their authority to act for you to banks, utility companies, the local authority, your doctor, care homes and other third parties. The requirements of each individual or organisation will vary. For example, some may need to see the original registered LPA while others may only want a photocopy. You or your attorney(s) should avoid sending the original registered LPA by post to a third party and offer to supply a solicitor certified copy instead. We recommend that you obtain enough solicitor certified copies for you or your attorney(s) to send to third parties. We suggest that these certified copies are safeguarded by you and that you let your attorney(s) know where they are located to save your attorney(s) applying to us for further certified copies at a later stage, which they may be charged for. We will supply you with one solicitor certified copy of each type of LPA when your LPA(s) have been registered but you can let us know if you would like us to supply you with additional certified copies.