What do we mean by 'Court of Protection' orders?

If there is no Power of Attorney in place and you need to manage an incapable adult’s wider financial and/or personal welfare affairs, an application can be made to the Court of Protection for you, or someone else to be appointed as ‘deputy’. The Court decide the appropriateness of granting such an order and they’ll decide the person nominated is suitable. A deputyship order provides the deputy with a range of powers which can be used to benefit the incapable person.

Once appointed, deputies are supervised in their role:

• For financial and property matters – by the Office of the Public Guardian
• For personal welfare matters – by the local authority in the area where the incapable adult lives

If you think a Court of Protection Order is appropriate, you may want to seek independent legal advice or contact the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Once you’ve been appointed as a Deputy you can apply to be added to an account by completing our online process.(opens in a new window).

Alternatively, you could also visit a branch with your deputyship documents and Photo ID.

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