With people living longer its is sadly the case that some may lose the ability to deal with their own affairs, either because they are no longer physically able to or more commonly, lack the mental capacity to do so.

One way to protect yourself in the future would be to make a Lasting Power of Attorney and appoint someone to act as your attorney and they will then be able to manage your affairs on your behalf when you are no longer able to. However, not everyone has this in place and sometimes it is too late for them to do anything about it. If that happens, a friend or relative could apply to the Court of Protection to be appointed your Deputy. When there is no one to do this, we are asked by the Local Authority to apply to be appointed as someone’s Deputy, known as a Professional Deputy.

A Deputy will commonly be appointed to deal with a person’s property and finances, although that can also be appointed to deal with health and welfare decisions. Once appointed your Deputy will be able to access you bank accounts to ensure that your outgoings are paid, you have access to funds and ensure that you are receiving the correct income.

We can assist you in making an application to the Court of Protection for a fixed fee of £950 plus VAT. In addition to this you will also have to pay the Court fee of £371 and possibly also a fee for a medical professional to provide evidence of lack of capacity.