Court of Protection Deputyship Costs 2026: The Full Fee Breakdown

A deputy is a person (often a family member) appointed by the Court of Protection to make decisions on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves, and who does not already have a valid Lasting Power of Attorney in place. Deputyship is typically needed when someone loses capacity suddenly (through an accident or sudden illness) without having previously set up an LPA, since an LPA cannot be created after capacity is lost.

The court application fee for a deputyship order is a fixed fee (check the current figure on gov.uk, as court fees are periodically reviewed), payable per application. If the application is contested or requires a hearing, additional costs can apply. Many applicants also pay a solicitor to help prepare the application, which is usually the largest single cost, often running into several hundred to a few thousand pounds depending on complexity.

Once appointed, deputies pay an annual supervision fee to the Office of the Public Guardian, which oversees deputies to ensure they are acting properly in the protected person's best interests. The fee varies by supervision level — higher for more complex or higher-value estates requiring closer monitoring, lower for simpler cases — and is charged from the funds of the person lacking capacity, not from the deputy's own pocket.

For property and financial affairs deputyships, the court usually requires the deputy to take out a security bond (a form of insurance) protecting the protected person's estate against financial loss caused by the deputy's actions. The bond cost is based on the value of assets the deputy will be managing, and is an ongoing annual cost paid from the protected person's funds.

Almost all deputyship-related costs — the court application fee, the annual supervision fee, the security bond, and solicitor fees for setting up the deputyship — are paid from the funds and assets of the person who lacks capacity, not from the deputy's own money, provided that person has sufficient assets. A deputy does not personally fund the administration of someone else's affairs.

A property and financial affairs deputy manages money, bills, property, and financial decisions on behalf of the protected person. A health and welfare deputy makes decisions about medical treatment, care arrangements, and daily welfare. Health and welfare deputyships are granted far less often than property and financial affairs deputyships, since courts generally prefer such decisions to be made collaboratively by family and medical professionals under the Mental Capacity Act's best-interests framework, without needing a formally appointed deputy.

Significantly cheaper and simpler, which is why setting up an LPA while someone still has capacity is almost always recommended over relying on deputyship as a fallback. An LPA has a one-off registration fee (with possible fee remission for lower income), no ongoing annual supervision fee, and no requirement for a security bond, whereas deputyship involves the court application fee, annual supervision fees, and often bond costs, every year, for as long as the deputyship continues.

The process commonly takes several months from application to the court issuing a deputyship order, and can take longer for contested or complex cases (for example, where family members disagree about who should be appointed). This delay is one of the strongest practical arguments for setting up an LPA in advance, since an LPA can be used immediately once registered, without needing court involvement at the point capacity is actually lost.

Yes, the court can appoint two or more people to act as joint deputies (all must agree on every decision) or jointly and severally (any one of them can act alone), depending on family circumstances and what the court considers appropriate — though joint deputies can create practical friction if family members disagree, which is worth considering carefully before applying together.