OPG fees rise; jurisdiction check added to registration forms

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has announced that the majority of fees will be increasing from 1 April 2019. In particular, the fee for registering a power of attorney (POA) will increase to £79.

In addition the registration fees for orders made under part 6 of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, including guardianship and intervention orders, will increase to £89.

Further, OPG will be adding to the registration process of POAs to check they are submitted within the correct jurisdiction. The registration forms will now include the following statements in order to identify that the granter:

• lives in Scotland;
• has property in Scotland;
• does not normally live in Scotland and it is a matter of urgency to submit the PoA for registration in Scotland; or
• is present in Scotland and the PoA is needed on a temporary basis to make decisions limited to, and within, Scotland.