LPA Signing Order and Witness Rules: Avoid Invalid Execution
Execution order and witnessing mistakes are a major source of LPA rejection. Use this practical sequence guide before signing.
Why sequence errors happen
People often focus on collecting signatures and miss the legal order they must follow. LP12 is clear: wrong order can stop registration.
Official signing order (LP12)
Sign in this order:
- Donor signs first
- LP1H only: complete and sign section 5 (life-sustaining treatment) first.
- Sign any continuation sheets used (for example sheets 1 and 2).
- Then sign section 9.
- Donor's witness signs next
- The witness signs straight after the donor.
- For LP1H, the same witness process applies to the donor's section 5 signature.
- Certificate provider signs section 10
- Must be after donor signature and before any attorney signatures.
- Attorneys and replacement attorneys sign section 11
- They sign after section 10.
- LP12 says they should sign as soon as reasonably possible after the certificate provider (ideally same day).
- Registration stage signature (section 15)
- Signed by donor or attorney(s) when applying to register.
Witness basics
For donor and attorney signature witnessing, do not assume any adult present is valid.
Key rules:
- Witness should be independent and aged 18+
- Donor cannot witness attorney signatures
- Attorneys cannot witness donor signature
- Avoid anyone with a conflict in the relevant role
High-risk mistakes
- Signing section 11 before section 10
- Signing section 9 before section 5 (LP1H) or required continuation sheets
- Missing witness details
- Pre-dating, backdating, or auto-filling dates
- Trying to fix errors with correction fluid or stickers
Corrections: what LP12 allows
LP12 states:
- Do not use correction fluid/stickers
- Put a line through the mistake
- Add the correct text
- The person who made that part of the entry initials the correction
If multiple errors exist across sections, re-check whether a clean re-execution is safer than heavily corrected pages.
Practical signing checklist
- Confirm everyone understands their role before starting
- Confirm each section to be signed in sequence
- Keep a live checklist and tick each completed step
- Verify names, addresses, and dates after every signature block
- Keep scanned copies immediately after completion
- Only then prepare registration submission steps
Next reading
Related guides
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