What is the Office of the Public Guardian?
The Office of the Public Guardian is the government body that registers lasting and enduring powers of attorney, supervises court-appointed deputies, and investigates concerns about how attorneys and deputies are acting. It covers England and Wales.
An LPA has no legal effect until the OPG registers it, and registration takes weeks rather than days. Applying early is the only protection against that delay landing at the moment the document is needed.
The OPG maintains a searchable register, so a third party can confirm whether a registered LPA or EPA exists for a person. It also runs the safeguarding function: it can investigate an attorney's conduct and apply to the Court of Protection to have them removed.
Scotland has its own Office of the Public Guardian with a separate register and separate rules.