Changing your address after registering an LPA

An address change after LPA registration should be reported through the OPG process. Official guidance identifies changes donors and attorneys need to report and the information required. ^[1]

Identify whose details have changed Record the donor or attorney's previous and new addresses, the LPA reference and the date of the move. Follow the current notification method and provide only the evidence requested.

Do not write over the address on a registered document as an informal update. Preserve the registered version and obtain guidance if the document's details no longer match current identification.

Update organisations that rely on the appointment OPG notification does not necessarily update every bank, investment provider or care organisation. Make a separate list of institutions that need the new contact details and retain acknowledgements.

Review where copies and access details are held. If the move is to another UK jurisdiction or abroad, distinguish the administrative address update from questions about the law and recognition of authority. Moving home does not automatically answer whether the same document will be accepted for a new asset or transaction.

Identify the person and appointment affected by the move Record whether the change concerns the donor, an original attorney or another named person whose position needs checking. Identify each relevant LPA and its reference rather than assuming one notification automatically covers every instrument. Confirm the old and new contact details and the date from which the new address should be used. If several family members are moving together, keep their identities clear. A combined household note may be convenient, but it should not leave OPG or an institution uncertain whose recorded address has changed.

Check whether anything beyond the address has altered. A name change, an attorney stepping down or a move affecting the practical ability to act may require different information or a separate process. Describe each event accurately and avoid presenting a substantive appointment change as merely an administrative correction. If a replacement is beginning to act, the question is not just where correspondence should go. Identifying the actual change at the outset helps ensure the appropriate requirements are followed for each issue.

Send the notification without editing the registered form Use the current OPG contact process and provide the identifying information it requests. The official changes guidance says an address change does not require supporting documents and warns against changing the LPA itself. Keep the registered instrument intact rather than crossing out its address or inserting a newly typed page. If an organisation questions the difference between the original address and current identification, explain the reported change and ask what appropriate evidence it needs. [1]

Retain a copy of the notification and any acknowledgement. If a response is unclear, refer to the relevant LPA reference and ask which details have been updated. Avoid sending additional identity documents merely because they are available; use the information required through a suitable channel. Where a professional is making the notification, agree who will receive confirmation and keep the donor or relevant attorney informed. The working record should establish what was reported without creating an unnecessary collection of sensitive documents.

Update practical correspondence arrangements institution by institution List banks, investment providers, insurers, care organisations and advisers that legitimately rely on the appointment or contact details. Ask each relevant organisation how to update its records. An OPG notification should not be assumed to update separate systems automatically. Distinguish the donor's residential address, an attorney's contact address and any agreed correspondence address, since they may serve different purposes. Record the change actually requested so a provider does not inadvertently redirect all communications when only one person's details needed correction.

Check for pending correspondence during the transition. A statement, identity query or appointment request may already be on its way to the previous address. Arrange an appropriate method of monitoring expected communications while respecting privacy and lawful access. Tell the relevant contact about an urgent outstanding matter rather than relying on a routine address update to resolve it. Keep acknowledgements together and follow up on a specific missing confirmation when needed, instead of assuming the absence of further post means the records are correct.

Assess wider consequences where the move changes jurisdiction If the donor moves to Scotland, Northern Ireland or another country, separate contact administration from recognition of the appointment. The fact that OPG records a new address does not establish how a foreign institution or another legal system will treat the LPA. Explain the new location, relevant assets and intended transactions to an appropriate adviser. Ask whether local documentation, translation or additional authority needs consideration, rather than assuming the England and Wales instrument operates identically wherever the donor now lives.

Review the practical support arrangements after the move. Check whether attorneys can still communicate with the donor, access necessary records lawfully and deal with relevant institutions. Update the separate location index for originals and certified copies if those have moved too. Keep that information distinguishable from the legal document so future readers understand what is current and what remains the registered instrument. A completed address update should leave both official contact information and everyday administration workable, without implying a change to powers that has not actually been made.