Forum: Widen the pool of professionals who can certify LPAs

I recently completed my Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) with the help of my Member of Parliament. The experience left me wondering whether Singapore’s approach to LPA certification can be improved.

The current process has two parts. The online application is straightforward, but securing certification of mental soundness proved tedious.

There is a limited availability of doctors, lawyers or psychiatrists to certify this. The cost of getting this certification can also range from $24 to as high as $1,500, which deters follow-through.

Will it be possible to empower more professionals as certifiers, which can also help bring down average certification costs?

Consider empowering professionals already embedded in a person’s property and welfare decision-making: financial advisers, accountants and bankers. Furthermore, many of them hold professional credentials backed by ethics codes and conduct standards, just as lawyers and doctors do.

If skill sets remain a constraint, the authorities can create a pathway to train and accredit professionals to serve as LPA certifiers, widening the pool without compromising standards.

Expanding the certifier pool also reduces systemic strain. It frees up lawyers from pro-bono certification work so they can focus on legal practice. It eases pressure on general practitioners, allowing them to prioritise patient care over administrative certification.

This ultimately streamlines the LPA process for citizens, removing friction that currently deters uptake.

Dylon Poh