Power of Attorney

POWERS OF ATTORNEY (Scotland) / LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY (England/Wales)

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Was the POA/LPA Registered?

Check to see if your POA/LPA was ever registered. Many clients have found their documents were properly prepared but not registered with the relevant Office of The Public Guardian (OPG). Your POA/LPA cannot be used until it is officially registered.

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How to Check for Registration

• Scottish POA: Look for the OPG crest watermark and a unique reference number on each page.

• England/Wales LPA: Look for a “Validated by OPG” perforated stamp through the bottom of each page, and a box on the first page filled in with the registration date and unique reference number.

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Contact details for the OPG in Scotland:

Email: OPG@scotcourts.gov.uk
Telephone: 01324 678300
For Hearing Impaired:
LINK: Contact Scotland

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For those in England and Wales:

Email: customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 456 0300
Textphone for hearing impaired: 0115 934 2778

The link will take you to the OPG website for further guidance on registration:

LINK: OPG England & Wales

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For those in Northern Ireland

Email: OCP@courtsni.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 200 7812
Website: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk

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General Link about Powers of Attorney at the Gov.uk website:

LINK: Power of Attorney
LINK: Scottish Office of the Public Guardian

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