Can I use my LPA before it's registered?

No. An LPA has no legal effect until it's been registered by the Office of the Public Guardian. Even if all the signatures are in place, the document is not enforceable — banks won't accept it, doctors won't recognise it, no decision-making authority exists. This is why timing matters so much: if a crisis hits before your LPA is registered, your attorneys have no power to act, and the only legal route is the Court of Protection (which takes 8–12 months and costs more). Register early, ideally years before you might need it.