The document you make while you still can
Most people put this off because it asks you to imagine something unpleasant: a version of yourself who can’t decide things any more. Fair enough. But the paperwork takes one meeting, and the alternative costs your family months in court.
I’m Wahab. I run A.W. Law LLC in Chinatown. Because I hold a practising certificate, I’m an accredited certificate issuer, so you can sign and get the LPA certified in the same appointment rather than chasing a doctor afterwards.
The first 10 minutes are free, and nothing commits you.
What a Lasting Power of Attorney in Singapore actually is
A Lasting Power of Attorney is made under the Mental Capacity Act 2008. You are the donor. The people you appoint are your donees. The document sits dormant and does nothing at all unless you lose mental capacity, meaning you can no longer understand, hold on to, and weigh up the information a decision needs.
It covers two areas, and you choose one or both:
- Property and affairs. Operating your bank accounts, paying your bills, dealing with CPF and insurance, and, if you grant it, selling your flat.
- Personal welfare. Where you live, your day-to-day care, and consenting to medical treatment on your behalf.
There are two forms. Form 1 is the standard one and covers most people: a fixed set of powers, with room for some restrictions. Form 2 is for customised powers and must be drafted by a lawyer, which matters if you own a business, hold assets through a trust, or want detailed instructions.
Whichever form, it must be certified by an accredited certificate issuer, and it is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. No court is involved. That’s the whole point of an LPA: it keeps your family out of court later. Our guide to Lasting Powers of Attorney in Singapore walks through the forms in more detail, and our power of attorney explainer covers how an LPA differs from the ordinary power of attorney used for one-off transactions.
When to make an LPA, and who should
Anyone 21 or over with mental capacity can make one. The people who most often should, and don’t:
- Anyone who owns a flat or has CPF savings. That’s most working adults in Singapore.
- Parents of a child with a disability, alongside the separate question of what happens when that child turns 21.
- Anyone with a recent diagnosis. Early-stage dementia does not automatically mean capacity is gone. But the window closes, and it closes quietly.
- Single people without obvious next of kin, where nobody would have a natural claim to step in.
The one situation where an LPA is no longer the answer: capacity has already gone. If your family member can no longer understand what they’d be signing, the LPA route is closed and the application is deputyship instead. We’ll tell you honestly which side of that line someone is on.
An LPA is also not a will. It stops working the moment you die, and everything after that is governed by your will or, if there isn’t one, by the Intestate Succession Act. Most people making an LPA should do both in the same sitting, which is what our estate planning page covers.
What to expect, honestly
How long it takes.
The meeting itself is short: half an hour to an hour for a Form 1, longer if we’re drafting a Form 2. After we file it, the law requires a three-week waiting period before the Office of the Public Guardian registers the LPA. Budget about a month, start to finish.
How much it costs.
A standard Form 1, including the meeting, certification, and filing, is S$250 to S$450 at A.W. Law. A customised Form 2 runs S$1,200 to S$2,500 depending on complexity. The OPG’s registration fee sits on top; it has been waived for Singapore Citizens making a Form 1, but that concession is renewed periodically, so we confirm the current figure before quoting. Fees in writing before any paid work. The 10-min LPA Discovery Session is free.
What’s the hard part.
Choosing the donee. Not the legal side, the family side. People agonise over which child to name, worry about looking like they trust one more than another, and sometimes name two jointly to avoid the conversation, which can deadlock later when a decision is urgent. We’ll walk you through how joint and several appointments actually behave in practice, and you can name a replacement donee in case your first choice can’t act. This is the part worth spending the meeting on.
How we handle LPAs at A.W. Law
- Certified in the same meeting. No separate trip to a doctor to get the certificate signed.
- The donee conversation, properly. We’ll ask the awkward questions now so your family doesn’t have to guess later.
- Form 2 drafted in-house when the standard form doesn’t fit your assets.
- Bahasa, Tamil, or Mandarin through the firm’s translation staff when that’s easier for a parent.
- WhatsApp until 10pm on weekdays if a question comes up after you’ve signed.
We’re at 133 New Bridge Road, #20-03 Chinatown Point. Two minutes’ walk from Chinatown MRT, Exit E.
What happens next
Book a free 10-min LPA Discovery Session using the form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp.
Come with a rough idea of who you’d trust and what you own. You’ll leave knowing whether Form 1 or Form 2 fits, what it costs, and how long registration will take. If you’d rather do the will at the same time, say so when you book and we’ll set aside a longer slot. Nothing commits you.
