Court of Protection
Deputyship

Protecting vulnerable individuals’ property and finances

When someone lacks the mental capacity to make decisions about their property and finances, the Court of Protection can appoint a Deputy to make certain decisions in that person’s best interests.

A Deputy has a legal duty to act in the person’s best interests, helping to manage finances, pay bills, access benefits, protect assets and ensure funds are used to support their wellbeing and quality of life.

When a vulnerable individual does not have anyone suitable or willing to act on their behalf, a Professional Deputy can be appointed.

When might a Deputy be needed?

A professional Deputy may be appropriate when:

  1. There is no family member or friend able to act

  2. Family relationships are complex or there is conflict

  3. Significant assets or property need managing

  4. There are safeguarding concerns

  5. Financial decisions require specialist expertise

  6. An individual needs ongoing support with managing their affairs

We provide independent professional Court of Protection Deputyship services for individuals who lack capacity to manage their property and financial affairs.

From handling the initial application process of appointment to the continued management of the individuals’ finances in their best interest, our approach provides stability, continuity and reassurance.

We are accustomed to supporting individuals in a wide range of circumstances, including those with complex needs or fluctuating capacity, where there may be safeguarding concerns and complex financial and welfare issues.

Following a referral from an organisation, family member or other individual, we ensure that every decision is made in the individual’s best interests, with a clear focus on safeguarding their finances and promoting their independence and wellbeing.

An adviser going through papers with a client on the office sofa

Supporting initial applications

In some cases, there may be a family member or other individual who is able to act as Deputy but requires assistance with the Court of Protection application process. The process can be complex, and errors can result in significant delays. In these circumstances, our experienced solicitors can guide applicants through the process and manage the application through to the initial appointment by the Court.

In their words

01 / 04

Deputyship

“As the parent of a vulnerable ad­ult, the re­as­su­ra­nce that I re­ce­ive from Tom Ev­ans of Qu­al­ia Law as a pr­of­es­si­on­al de­pu­ty is un­su­rp­as­sed. … Si­nce ha­vi­ng Tom in pl­ace as my da­ug­ht­er’s fi­na­nc­ial de­pu­ty, I am ge­nu­in­ely co­nf­id­ent that she will be pr­ot­ec­ted fi­na­nc­ia­lly long af­ter I am gone and that her ne­eds will al­wa­ys be met.”

Parent of a vulnerable adult

Family member

Court of Protection

“When faced with the daunting task of fi­ll­ing out pa­pe­rw­ork for my vu­ln­er­ab­le Un­cle who has no ca­pa­ci­ty, Tom’s ex­pe­rt le­gal ad­vi­ce and su­pp­ort made it very st­ra­ig­ht­fo­rw­ard. His pa­ti­en­ce and un­de­rs­ta­nd­ing of ev­ery part of the pr­oc­ess and ex­ac­tly what to do has fi­ll­ed me with co­nf­id­en­ce I have done the ri­ght th­ing for my fa­mi­ly.”

Relative of a client

Family member

Deputyship

“Tom Evans has been my financial de­pu­ty and po­int of co­nt­act for more than 3 ye­ars and he has been am­az­ing at ge­tt­ing st­ra­ig­ht back to me and gi­vi­ng me all the in­fo­rm­at­ion I need ev­ery time. He he­lps me to be able to use my mo­ney wi­se­ly and gi­ves me gr­eat ad­vi­ce.”

Deputyship client

Client

Mental capacity

“5 stars for Tom Evans. He de­alt with us with my Nan who has de­me­nt­ia. He took care of all the le­gal side wh­il­st ke­ep­ing us in­fo­rm­ed. Co­ul­dn’t have been ha­pp­ier with the se­rv­ice he gave.”

Grandchild of a client

Family member

Why we are different

Qualia Law combines specialist Court of Protection expertise with a unique not-for-profit model. Led by Tom Evans, an Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) Panel Deputy, our service delivers the highest standards of professional deputyship while remaining focused on achieving the best outcomes for vulnerable adults. This commitment to independence, accountability and public-sector values has made us a trusted partner for local authorities and charities across England and Wales.