How to Revoke Power of Attorney in Wales — Cancel or Change Your LPA

Donors Can Revoke at Any Time — While They Have Capacity

A Lasting Power of Attorney is not permanent. The donor can revoke (cancel) a registered LPA at any point, for any reason, as long as they still have mental capacity. No one else's consent is needed — not the attorney's, not a family member's, not a solicitor's.

The revocation process depends on whether the LPA has been registered:

Unregistered LPA: Simply destroy the document. Since it was never registered with the OPG, there is no formal record to update. Notify the attorneys that the LPA is cancelled.

Registered LPA: The donor must send a signed and witnessed "deed of revocation" to the OPG. This is a short, formal document stating that the donor revokes the LPA. The OPG then cancels the registration. The donor should also notify all attorneys, any institutions that hold copies (banks, care homes), and retrieve or destroy any certified copies in circulation.

When Might You Revoke?

Common reasons families consider revocation:

• Relationship breakdown. A spouse appointed as attorney during a healthy marriage may no longer be the right choice after separation or divorce. Divorce ends a former spouse's role as attorney unless the LPA says they can still act; separation without divorce does not.
• Loss of trust. If the donor suspects an attorney is not acting in their best interests — overspending, making unauthorised gifts, or failing to consult them on decisions.
• Changed circumstances. An attorney who moved abroad, became seriously ill, or is no longer willing to act.
• Updating the document. You cannot amend a registered LPA. If the donor wants to change attorneys, modify instructions, or add replacement attorneys, they must revoke the existing LPA and create a new one.

Removing One Attorney Without Revoking the Whole LPA

If multiple attorneys are appointed "jointly and severally" (meaning they can act independently), the donor can remove one attorney without necessarily revoking the entire LPA while the donor retains capacity. Follow the OPG process for recording the change.

However, if attorneys were appointed "jointly" (requiring unanimous decisions), the removal or resignation of one may prevent the remaining attorneys from acting unless the document provides a replacement arrangement.

When the Donor Lacks Capacity

A donor who has lost mental capacity cannot revoke their own LPA — they no longer meet the legal threshold for making that decision. If there are concerns about how an attorney is using the LPA, the following steps apply:

• Report to the OPG. You can report concerns about attorney behaviour to the Office of the Public Guardian on 0300 456 0300 or via gov.uk/report-concern-about-attorney-deputy-guardian.
• Apply to the Court of Protection. If serious concerns remain, the OPG may apply to the Court of Protection to remove an attorney or cancel the LPA. The court can also appoint a suitable person to replace the attorney.
• Emergency orders. In cases of urgent financial abuse, the OPG may ask the Court of Protection to freeze the donor's bank accounts or make other protective orders while the concern is considered.

The Practical Side

Revocation is straightforward on paper but messy in practice. Banks, building societies, and investment platforms that have the LPA on file need to be notified individually. If the attorney has been actively using the LPA — paying bills, managing accounts, dealing with the council — all of those relationships need to be transferred back to the donor or to a newly appointed attorney.

The Wales Capacity Protection Toolkit covers the revocation process, including a deed of revocation template and a notification checklist for institutions.

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