Deputyship - Court Appointed Deputies
We have helped many people when it comes to appointing deputies to look after affairs
of other people and look forward to speaking with you about how we can help you.
Key Information:
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Email us using our Online Enquiry Form
What is a Deputy?
A Deputy is a person appointed by the
Court of Protection to manage the personal welfare
or the property and affairs of another person,
who lacks the mental capacity to manage them themselves.
A Deputy can only act under a court order from the Court of Protection.
This order sets out the Deputy’s powers and entitles the Deputy to act on behalf
of the person lacking capacity.
A Deputy will not be required if the person lacking capacity has previously made
a Lasting Power
of Attorney (LPA). In this case, provided the LPA has been properly registered,
the attorney can continue to make decisions on behalf of the person lacking capacity.
What is the difference between a Lasting Power of Attorney and a Deputyship?
Both LPA’s and deputyships are legal methods
by which decisions can be made for persons lacking mental capacity.
The key difference between the two is that:
- an LPA is made by the person before he or she loses capacity
- a deputyship application is made by a 3rd party after the person loses capacity
The person therefore has more control over the LPA process and choice of attorney
and the LPA may therefore be more likely to reflect the person’s own wishes.
Why set up a deputyship?
A deputyship maybe required for a person who lacks mental capacity and who has assets
that need to be administered or decisions taken about their personal welfare.
So, for example, there may come a time when a person with dementia will need a Deputy
to collect their income and benefits and sell assets in order to pay care home charges.
Or, say, a person with acquired brain injury would need a Deputy to administer a
court settlement to pay for an ongoing care regime, or make decisions about medical
treatment.
Types of deputyship
A Deputy can be appointed by the court to act as:
- A Property and Affairs Deputy - making decisions about property
and financial affairs, including the sale and purchase of real property
- A Personal Welfare Deputy - making decisions about health and personal
welfare, including treatment options. However the Deputy cannot refuse consent to
life sustaining treatment
Who can be a Deputy?
Any person over the age of 18 can be a Deputy. Any prospective Deputy must declare
any criminal convictions or bankruptcy arrangements to the court when applying to
become Deputy and these could lead to the application being refused.
In many cases a spouse, partner or close relative will be the Deputy. In cases where
there is no-one able or willing to take the role then the local authority can do
so (in low value estates) or a professional Deputy (eg a solicitor) can be appointed.
Where the person lacking capacity has a large estate then a professional Deputy
will almost always be appropriate.
What are the Powers and Duties of a Deputy?
A Deputy’s powers derive from the deputyship order
made by the Court of Protection and the Deputy cannot exceed
those powers. The order may give wide powers to the Deputy, or it could
set limits to those powers, for example providing that large items of expenditure
or investment cannot take place without further permission of the court.
The Deputy’s duties are set out in the Mental
Capacity Act 2005 and in particular follow the general principles set
out in the Act:
- A person must be assumed to have capacity unless it is shown otherwise
- A person cannot be treated as unable to make a decision until all practicable steps
have been taken to help him, without success
- A person cannot be treated as lacking capacity merely because he wishes to make
an unwise or eccentric decision
- Any decisions made on behalf of a person must be in the person’s best interests
- Before making a decision, consideration must be given as to whether its purpose
can be achieved in a way that is less restrictive of the person’s rights and freedom
In addition to following these general principles, the Court of Protection places
numerous obligations on the Deputy, as a safeguard to the person lacking capacity.
These include obtaining a security bond, complying with supervision by the court
and filing annual reports and accounts.
Supervision and Termination of Deputyships
When a deputyship order is made, the Office of the Public Guardian will allocate
the deputyship to a category of supervision. This may range from close supervision
(particularly for new cases in the 1st year or two) to a light touch supervision
in straightforward cases. The Deputy’s reporting obligations will depend on the
level of supervision.
A deputyship order is terminated when the person lacking capacity dies or recovers
capacity, or if the order is limited in time and expires. It can also be discharged
by order of the Court or Protection or on application by the Deputy, if he wishes
to retire or resign.
How can we help?
David Ross is
an experienced Deputy and a member of the OPG Panel of Deputies.
He accepts instructions to act as professional Deputy and is always happy to discuss
individual cases on a no-obligation basis. He has particular experience of acting
in high value personal injury or clinical negligence cases where loss of capacity
has occurred and it is essential for the Deputy to work closely with the legal team
recovering compensation, prior to settlement of the claim.
We can also help preparing applications on behalf of prospective Deputies, liaising
with the Court of Protection regarding applications, assisting deputies in managing
their deputyships and in making further applications to the Court when required.
For further information contact
David Ross on 0844 858 3400 or david.ross@simpsonmillar.co.uk
or please complete our online enquiry form.
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