Deputy appointed by the court of protection

You can apply to become someone’s deputy if they ‘lack mental capacity’, meaning they can’t make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made. They may still be able to make decisions for themselves at certain times.

As a deputy, you’ll be authorised by the Court of Protection to make decisions on their behalf.

There are 2 types of deputy:

• Property and financial affairs, eg paying bills, organising a pension
• Personal welfare, eg making decisions about medical treatment and how someone is looked after

You can apply to be just one type of deputy or both. If you’re appointed, the court will tell you exactly what your responsibilities are.

Information relating to responsibilities can be found on the UK Government’s website.