Making a Lasting Power of Attorney has become considerably more affordable in Singapore in recent years, to the point where cost is no longer a reasonable excuse for putting off this important piece of planning. This guide explains exactly what an LPA costs, and where the genuine expenses still lie.
The Good News: Form 1 Is Now Free for Citizens
Since April 2026, Singapore Citizens applying for an LPA using the standard Form 1, the form used by the vast majority of applicants, no longer pay the Office of the Public Guardian’s application fee at all. This is a genuinely significant change from the fee that previously applied, and reflects a deliberate government push to encourage more Singaporeans to put this kind of protection in place before it is ever needed.
Reduced Fees for Other Applications
For applications that do not qualify for the free Form 1 pathway, whether due to citizenship status or because Form 2 is required, reduced fees have applied since May 2026. This means that even outside the specific free pathway, the government-facing cost of making an LPA remains considerably more accessible than it once was.
The Cost That Remains: Your Certificate Issuer’s Fee
Regardless of citizenship or which form you use, every LPA requires certification by an accredited Certificate Issuer, typically a lawyer, doctor, or psychiatrist, who confirms you understand the purpose and effect of the LPA and have the mental capacity to make it. This certification involves a separate professional fee, payable to the Certificate Issuer directly, distinct from the government application fee. This is the main genuine cost most applicants will face today.
What Determines the Certificate Issuer’s Fee
The fee charged by a Certificate Issuer varies depending on who you choose and how they structure their pricing. Lawyers offering this service commonly charge a modest, fixed fee for a straightforward Form 1 certification, reflecting the fairly standardised nature of this work for the vast majority of applicants. Costs can be somewhat higher if your situation involves anything unusual, requiring more time or a more careful assessment before certification.
Form 2 Involves Additional Legal Drafting Costs
If your situation requires Form 2, for instance because you want to appoint more than two donees, more than one replacement donee, or wish to grant specific, customised powers beyond the standard scope, this form must be drafted by a lawyer rather than completed independently. This involves genuine legal drafting work beyond a simple certification, and correspondingly higher fees than the straightforward Form 1 pathway most Singaporeans use.
Costs If You Use a Hardcopy Application
The vast majority of LPA applications are now submitted entirely online through the Office of the Public Guardian Online platform. Hardcopy applications are only accepted in specific, exceptional circumstances, such as a genuine inability to use the online system, and while the underlying fee structure remains similar, this route may involve additional administrative considerations worth clarifying directly with the Office of the Public Guardian if it applies to your situation.
No Cost for Activating an LPA That Sits Unused
It is worth understanding that once your LPA is made and registered, there is no ongoing cost simply for having it exist. The document sits ready for use only if and when you actually lose mental capacity. If that day never comes, you will not have paid anything further beyond the original certification fee, which is one of several reasons there is little financial downside to making one proactively, even if you hope it never needs to be used.
Costs When an LPA Actually Needs to Be Activated
If the time comes to actually use the LPA, your donee will need to obtain a medical report confirming your loss of capacity, using a specific template designed for this purpose. This involves a separate medical consultation fee at that later point, which is a cost that arises only if and when the LPA genuinely needs to be put into effect, not at the time you originally make it.
Comparing Certificate Issuer Fees Before Choosing
Since Certificate Issuers set their own fees within a generally modest range, it is worth briefly comparing a few options before committing, particularly since this is a straightforward, standardised service for the vast majority of applicants using Form 1. Some law firms specifically promote fixed, transparent LPA certification fees precisely because this has become such a commonly requested service, making genuine comparison shopping both possible and worthwhile.
Why the Government Made This Change
The shift toward free and reduced LPA fees reflects a broader policy push to normalise advance planning across the population, not just among older Singaporeans or those already facing health concerns. Understanding this context helps explain why the current fee structure is genuinely designed to remove cost as a barrier, rather than being a temporary promotional discount likely to disappear before you get around to making your own arrangements.
Comparing This to the Cost of Not Having One
The modest cost of making an LPA today compares very favourably to the alternative: if you lose mental capacity without ever having made one, your family would generally need to apply to the court for a deputyship order, a considerably more expensive, time-consuming, and stressful process precisely because it requires formal court involvement that a properly prepared LPA avoids entirely.
Why Cost Should No Longer Be a Reason to Delay
Given how affordable the process has become, particularly for Singapore Citizens using the standard Form 1, cost is genuinely one of the weakest reasons left to postpone making an LPA. The real barriers for most people are simply finding the time to complete the process and choosing the right donees, both of which are worth addressing sooner rather than later, regardless of your age or current health, since none of us can predict exactly when this kind of protection might actually be needed. Many people who eventually make an LPA later say they wish they had done it years earlier, once they realised how straightforward and affordable the actual process turned out to be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Permanent Residents pay the same fees as Singapore Citizens for an LPA?
Permanent Residents and other applicants who do not qualify as Singapore Citizens are subject to the reduced fee structure rather than the fully free Form 1 pathway available specifically to citizens, so it is worth confirming the current applicable fee based on your specific status.
Is there a fee to make changes to my LPA after it has already been registered?
Varying or revoking an existing LPA generally involves its own separate process and potential fees, distinct from the original application, so this is worth clarifying directly with the Office of the Public Guardian or a Certificate Issuer if you need to make changes later.
Does choosing a doctor rather than a lawyer as my Certificate Issuer change the cost?
Fees can vary between different types of accredited Certificate Issuers and between individual practitioners, so it is worth comparing directly rather than assuming one category of professional is automatically cheaper or more expensive than another.
Are there any free or subsidised options for making an LPA beyond the Form 1 fee waiver itself?
Some community organisations and outreach initiatives occasionally offer subsidised or free assistance with LPA-related certification for specific groups, so it is worth checking current community resources if the Certificate Issuer fee itself is a genuine concern for your circumstances.
Does having a more complex family situation, such as a blended family, automatically mean I need the more expensive Form 2?
Not necessarily, since many people with more complex family situations still find Form 1’s standard powers sufficient for their needs, so this is worth discussing with a Certificate Issuer or family lawyer to determine which form genuinely fits your specific circumstances before assuming you need the more involved option.
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About the Author: Randy Alta
