Lasting Power of Attorney

An LPA lets you appoint one or more people you trust, called donees, to make decisions for you if you lose mental capacity. Your donees can act only after you lose capacity, which can happen at any age through illness or an accident.

Your donees can act on your personal welfare, your property and affairs, or both.

Your spouse or children do not automatically have authority to act for you. Without an LPA, they may need to apply to the court to be appointed your deputy. This takes longer and costs more, and the court decides who is appointed.

• Anyone aged 21 or over who has mental capacity can make an LPA.
• It is most useful if you have bank accounts or property in your sole name, or want to choose who acts for you.

• Choose your donees and speak to them first.
• Most people use LPA Form 1, which can be completed online through the Office of the Public Guardian using Singpass.
• A certificate issuer, such as an accredited doctor or a lawyer, confirms that you understand the LPA. Certificate issuers charge a fee for this.
• The LPA is then registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. Please check the Office of the Public Guardian's website for current fees.

Your will covers your assets after you die. CPF savings and insurance policies with a nomination are paid to your nominees instead. An LPA covers the period while you are alive but cannot make decisions yourself.

• Office of the Public Guardian: about the LPA and how to apply (msf.gov.sg)
• Singapore Statutes Online: Mental Capacity Act (sso.agc.gov.sg)

Last reviewed: October 2026.

• Advance Care Plan
• Talking to your parents
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