Power of Attorney Scotland Cost: 2026 Fees for OPG Registration, Solicitors, and DIY

The single non-negotiable cost of a Scottish power of attorney is the OPG registration fee: £99 per deed, set by Scottish Statutory Instrument 2026 No. 81 and effective from 1 April 2026. Everything else — solicitor fees, GP charges for capacity certificates, second copies — depends on the route you take.

That £99 is per deed, not per person. A Combined POA covering both financial and welfare powers costs £99 total. Two separate deeds (a standalone CPOA plus a standalone WPOA) would cost £198.

Full Cost Breakdown

OPG Registration Fees (From 1 April 2026)

Solicitor Fees

Most Scottish solicitors charge between £150 and £500 (plus VAT) to draft and register a Combined POA. This typically includes the initial consultation, drafting the deed, conducting the prescribed capacity interview, supervising the signing appointment, and submitting the deed to OPG Scotland via EPOAR.

Firms in Glasgow and Edinburgh tend to charge at the higher end. Rural practices and smaller firms often charge less. Some solicitors quote a fixed fee that includes the £99 OPG registration fee; others bill it separately. Always confirm what is included before instructing.

GP and Capacity Certificate Costs

The prescribed capacity interview for a Scottish POA must be conducted by a practising solicitor, advocate, or registered UK medical doctor. If a solicitor handles both the drafting and the interview — which is the standard approach — there is no separate GP fee.

However, if you use a DIY template and need a doctor to sign the Schedule 1 Certificate of Capacity, expect to pay £150 to £250 as a private fee. GPs are not contractually obliged to perform these assessments under their NHS contract, and some refuse entirely. In that case, a private consultant psychiatrist typically charges £250 to £350.

The DIY Route

A DIY power of attorney in Scotland is legally possible. The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 does not require a solicitor to draft the deed. What it does require is a prescribed capacity interview and a properly signed Schedule 1 certificate — and that is where DIY applications often come unstuck.

The OPG automatically rejects applications with name discrepancies between the deed and the certificate, mismatched signing dates, or formatting errors in EPOAR uploads. A single rejection resets the processing clock, which currently runs to over 12 months for standard applications.

The realistic minimum cost of a DIY POA: £99 (OPG fee) plus £150–£250 (GP capacity certificate) = roughly £250–£350.

How Scotland Compares to Court Guardianship

The cost comparison that matters most is not solicitor vs DIY. It is POA vs the alternative when no POA exists: a Sheriff Court Guardianship Order.

A guardianship application typically costs £5,000 to £7,000 including VAT, while a POA starts with the £99 registration fee and any applicable drafting or capacity-assessment costs. It also means a longer court process, typically 3–6 months, while the family pursues authority to manage the person's affairs.

Reducing the Cost

The most cost-effective approach is a Combined POA (one deed, one £99 fee) drafted by a solicitor on a fixed-fee basis. If cost is a serious barrier, Age Scotland and local Citizens Advice bureaux can point families toward pro bono or reduced-fee schemes.

Our Scotland Power of Attorney guide walks through every step of the process, including the Schedule 1 capacity certificate, EPOAR submission formatting, and the specific errors that trigger OPG rejections.

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