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A Court of Protection Order can only be put in place if the account owner lacks the capacity to make decisions for themselves.
What is a Court of Protection Order?
If there is no Power of Attorney in place and you need to manage someone’s wider financial and/or personal welfare affairs, an application can be made to the Court of Protection (COP), for you, or someone else to be appointed as a ‘deputy’. The court decides if the person nominated is suitable, and if successful, the COP Order provides the deputy with a range of powers which can be used to benefit the protected person.
Deputies are usually people with an existing relationship to the protected person such as a family member or close friend, but people acting in a professional capacity such as solicitors or local authorities can also be made attorneys. To learn more about deputies or to apply to be a deputy, visit the GOV.UK page using the button below.
A deputy can
- Have a Debit card or Online banking for the account/s if several deputies are acting joint and severally.
- Close accounts that are no longer needed.
- Open new accounts on behalf of the protected person if the instructions in the Court of Protection document allow this.
- Manage the protected person's mortgage, including applying for a new mortgage or changing the rates.
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A deputy cannot
- Have a Debit card or Online banking for the account/s if several deputies are acting jointly.
- Apply for certain forms of borrowing, for example loans or overdrafts on behalf of the account holder.
- Act outside the terms set out by the Court of Protection.
- Change ownership of the account or add new parties to the account.
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Registering a Court of Protection Order
Select one of the buttons below to start registering a Court of Protection Order online or in a branch.
If more than one deputy is being added, you'll need to register each deputy individually online or you can visit a NatWest branch and bring the appropriate documents with you.
Additionally, our online process requires you to use a desktop or laptop computer. This online journey cannot be completed using a mobile or tablet device.
All online applications are subject to additional checks and on some occasions a branch visit may be required.
Information for Local Authorities
In some cases a public authority can be appointed as a deputy by the Court of Protection. For more information on this visit this GOV.UK page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Organisations offering additional support
Make the most of extra support available to help you care for someone vulnerable. There are several organisations who could help with additional support.